This summer is headed towards an explosive collision when Transformers: Rise of the Beasts finally reaches the big screen. The new installment will feature new characters that will make their debut in the franchise, during a timeline that has never been explored in the Transformers series before. Anthony Ramos plays Noah Diaz, an ex-military electronics expert who is trying to make a living in Brooklyn. During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor talked about the expectations around the big-screen debut of one of the brand's most recognizable antagonists, Unicron:
"I was excited for the new characters to come to life and people to meet them, like Mirage and Rhinox and Cheetor and Optimus Primal. And Scourge being this new villain who I think is the biggest villain we've ever seen in any of these movies, and now we can actually talk about Unicron. For the fans, like the people that really love Transformers, this means a lot to them — they've been wanting to see these characters, especially Unicron, for years.
And then on top of that, you know, you got two kids from the hood, you know what I'm saying? Running around, saving the world, traveling, going from Brooklyn to Peru."
In Rise of the Beasts, things will get slightly more complicated for the universe that started with the premise of giant robots that could turn into vehicles. Noah and Elena (Dominique Fishback) will stumble upon an ancient piece of technology, which will be in high demand among the Transformers community. This time around, four factions of robots will be involved in the battle, with the Autobots, Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons all being a part of the coming conflict. To make it easier for audiences, each faction will have a very distinct look based on the creatures they can transform into.
And Ramos has plenty of reasons to be wary of Unicron's debut. Audiences have been watching the Autobots run into Megatron time after time, with Mark Wahlberg's character even facing what appears to be a reincarnation of the character during the events of Transformers: Age of Extinction. But Optimus Prime and his friends haven't faced a threat like Unicron just yet. In his origins, established in the Transformers cartoons that aired decades ago, and their subsequent animated film, Unicron was a large robot who kept growing until he gained such a massive size that allowed him to devour realities.
A Franchise Expansion Rolls Out
Even if Noah, Elena, and Optimus have no idea what to do against the powerful Unicron, Paramount Pictures is already planning for the future of the franchise, after taking a long break due to the performance of and reception towards Transformers: The Last Knight. After Rise of the Beasts makes an impact in movie theaters, the studio will focus on the production of an animated film set in the world of the franchise. Titled Transformers One, the project is set to debut on the big screen next year. The voice cast for that project will include Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, and John Hamm.
You can check out the official trailer for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts below, before the movie flies into theaters on June 9: