Ron Perlman Cast In New Transformers Movie As Major Character

Transformers fans tend to feel a bit weird, rather discombobulated, when anyone other than Peter Cullen voices the Autobot leader Optimus Prime. The Canadian actor assumed the role in the 1980s, survived being brutally killed off in the 1986 Transformers movie, and has played the part for all six of the 21st century's live-action films. He'll also appear as Prime in the next Transformers movie, 2022's Rise of the Beasts.

But the same connection probably isn't there, outside of some real hardcore fans, for Prime's more ape-like counterpart from the 1990s Beast Wars era of Transformers, Optimus Primal. Voiced by Garry Chalk for the Beast Wars and Beast Machines TV series, Primal is to appear in Rise of the Beasts (guess the clue is in the title, really), alongside other characters from the Beast Wars line. But it won't be Chalk who's reading his parts. Instead, someone more hellish, and more famous franky, will be stepping up to monkey around.

The last live-action Transformers movie, Bumblebee, was pretty darn good - remind yourself of its sweet 1980s setting in the trailer, below...

As Collider exclusively reveals, American actor Ron Perlman is stepping into the Maximal leader's (slightly hairy) robotic boots - and the Hellboy and Pacific Rim star has a little history with the character. While he didn't play Primal on television, he did voice the character for the 2018 online cartoon series, Transformers: Power of the Primes, to tie-in with the toy line of the time (but the show is terrible, don't bother). Some fans have expressed disappointment that Chalk won't be sparring in the VO booth with Cullen, as a pair of OG Transformers stars - but there's no doubt that Perlman has the experience to do justice to Optimus Primal's live-action debut.

Rise of the Beasts is the seventh live-action Transformers movie, and will be set in the Brooklyn of 1994 - and no doubt elsewhere, too. It's a direct sequel to the 1980s-set Bumblebee movie of 2018, and will feature both that movie's titular yellow 'bot and his leader, Optimus Prime, alongside a handful of other 'G1' characters. Key humans in the film will be played by Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback; and the director is Steven Caple Jr, best known for Creed II. Like most Transformers movies, there's a very good chance it won't be great - but it should, at least, be fun.

In related Transformers news, if you loved Optimus Prime's G1-echoing design in the Bumblebee movie, you will absolutely want to get your hands on this new Masterpiece toy.

Topics: Movies, News, transformers