Let’s take stock of what’s going on with Transformers: The Last Knight before we dive into this latest news, because it’s insane. As we reported yesterday, the latest installment of the franchise — controlled now, lest we forget, by its own braintrust — will not only include the Autobots and Decepticons (naturally), but also mini-Dinobots, Nazis, and King Arthur.

We knew about King Arthur, but mini-Dinobots is a new twist (as are the Nazis ... so there's WWII stuff in there, too). And today, we got another one: after being asked to respond about the controversy over draping the house of Winston Churchill (one of Britain’s greatest heroes, who led them through WWII) in Nazi flags for part of a Transformers shoot, director Michael Bay told the BBC (h/t EW) that,

“I just want to say, people were not fortunate enough to read the script, and they don’t know that Churchill in this movie is a big hero. And Churchill would be smiling about Last Knight. They haven’t seen the movie, they don’t know the ending, and they don’t know how Churchill is a hero in this movie. So, as the staff said, ‘He’d be smiling right now.’”


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Image via Paramount

So, hang on. HANG ON. Churchill is in the movie? Winston “we will fight them on the beaches” Churchill will be a part of a friggin Transformers movie? Of course he’s a big hero, obviously, there’s no other way to go with that. But guys, think about this movie. Think about what this movie even is. Bay continued,

“When you see the movie, you’ll understand. I for one, probably more than any director in the world, have shot more veterans and more active military men and women in my movies. I would do nothing to disrespect veterans.”

With all due respect, Mr. Bay, I do not think I will understand. When I see this movie — and God knows I don’t want to, but how can I not now? — I don’t think that I will ever be able to understand. (Also the way he phrased that makes it sound like he actually shot veterans. The position of prepositional clauses matters, folks!)

In their story, EW reports that Paramount Pictures has not responded to their request for a comment, because of course they won’t. They will just dive into their Scrooge McDuck money pool that will be filled again in June of 2017 when this insane spectacle (starring Mark Wahlberg, Josh Duhamel, and Tyrese Gibson) is released, and we all go and buy mini-Dinobots because that is what Winston Churchill would have wanted.

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Image via Paramount
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Image via Paramount

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Image via Paramount Pictures