This article contains spoilers from Transformers One.Transformers Onemade a significant change to Megatronus Prime that alters the character’s legacy. While the animated movie primarily focuses on the origins of Orion Pax/Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16/Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry), it alsoincorporates pivotal figures fromTransformers' lore, includingthe Transformers' creator, Primus, and Megatronus Prime. They are part of the essential world-building that is needed for a story set on Cybertron instead of Earth.
This is one of the advantages of aTransformersmovie that does not feature any human characters and instead places its titular characters at the forefront of the story. Primus andthe Elder Primesare integral to understanding how Cybertron and the Transformers came to be, along with shaping the motivations of Orion and D-16 as they discover shocking new truths and respectively become the Autobot leader Optimus Prime and the Decepticon leader Megatron.Megatronus is particularly vital to the story of the Decepticons, despite his past being much different inTransformers One.
Megatronus Prime Did Not Turn Evil & Become The Fallen In Transformers One
He Died As A True Prime
Instead of turning evil and becoming the Fallen,Transformers One’s Megatronus Prime fought alongside the other Primes until the end and seemingly died a hero.He had a reputation for being the strongest of the Primes, a reputation that endured long after his demise, with miners like D-16 knowing of and revering Megatronus' legendary strength many generations later. Despite how formidable he was, Megatronus was still killed byTransformers One’s Sentinel Prime(Jon Hamm), who betrayed and murdered all the Primes.
Sentinel became the Quintessons' puppet leader of Cybertron after this betrayal.
Even thoughTransformers One’s Megatronus was a hero, his legacy is now tainted, as it inspired D-16’s name of Megatron, and Megatronus' symbol became the insignia that represents the Decepticons.Transformers One’s final post-credit sceneshowed that all the Decepticons are now being branded with Megatronus' symbol, clearly distinguishing them from the Autobots, and representing their affiliation with Megatron.The symbol no longer stands for the noble Primewho was slayed by Sentinel.
Megatronus Prime Not Becoming The Fallen Is A Huge Change For The Franchise
It Is A Major Departure From OtherTransformersStories
While specific details vary depending on the continuity, Megatronus tends to be a Prime who becomes an evil being known as the Fallen, and in some versions, includingMichael Bay’sTransformersmovies, he is the founder of the Decepticons. As the title suggests,the Fallen is the primary antagonist of the franchise’s second live-action movie,Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. This is entirely different fromTransformers One, as Sentinel is the one who betrayed the Primes, and Megatronus stayed loyal to them.
Megatronus is traditionally one of the majorTransformersvillains, but based on what has been established, this trajectory will seemingly not be followed inTransformers One’s sequels.
In this continuity, Megatron is the founder of the Decepticons instead of Megatronus. One of the few constants between these versions of Megatronus is his immense strength, which ties into why his name and symbol are co-opted by Megatron and the Decepticons.Megatronus is traditionally one of the majorTransformersvillains, but based on what has been established, this trajectory will seemingly not be followed inTransformers One’s sequels.
How Megatronus Prime Could Still Become The Fallen In Transformers One Sequels
He Could Rise Again And Take A Dark Turn
While dying a hero prevents a character from returning, let alone as a villain, in many other franchises, there is still a possibility of Megatronus Prime returning inTransformers One’s sequels. ManyTransformers have died and come back to lifebefore andcan be reactivated, just as Alpha Trion (Laurence Fishburne) was inTransformers One. Optimus Prime, Megatron, Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson), and Bumblebee (Keegan-Michael Key) all know where Megatronus' body can be located among the other Primes on the surface of Cybertron, and could be involved in Megatronus being revived.
Transformers One’s Sequel Story: What Should Happen To Optimus Prime & Megatron Next
While ending its narrative on a well-rounded note, Transformers One also paves the way for new future story developments for Megatron & Optimus Prime.
Optimus Prime now possesses the powerful artifact known asthe Matrix of Leadership, which has the ability to revive a fallen Transformer. He could revive Megatronus or other Primes to seek their counsel, as Optimus is an inexperienced leader and will inevitably struggle to face some of the challenges headed his way. Megatronus may initially return as a wise hero, butcould gradually become corrupted by Megatron and the Decepticons, leading to him becoming the Fallen.
Megatronus could be opposed to Optimus' leadershipand the direction he is taking the Transformers in, or he could become enamored with the strength wielded by Megatron and the Decepticons, and how they represent themselves in Megatronus' image. This could allow him to become the Fallen and still be a traditionalTransformersvillain. At this point,Transformers One’s sequels will likely leave Megatronus alone, though, and instead focus on Megatron, the Decepticons, andthe villainous Quintessonsas the primary threats that Optimus and the Autobots face.
Transformers One
Cast
Transformers One is an animated action-adventure movie that marks the first animated feature-length film for the series in decades. The film will be a prequel to the franchise, and will tell the story of Optimus Prime and Megatron in their early years, how they met, and a closer look at the war on their home planet, Cybertron.
