Today, Hasbro and Machinima's second chapter of Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy makes its debut on go90! After the events of last summer's Transformers: Combiner Wars, which saw Optimus Prime come out of exile to team up with his arch-nemesis to combat a foe much greater than the two of them combined, an even more powerful threat has emerged. The saga continues today with Transformers: Titans Return! You can check out a trailer for the new season before watching the first episode online right now.

Much like Optimus Prime returned for this new animated Transformers series, so too does Peter Cullen, the legendary voice of the leader of the Autobots. I had a chance to chat with Cullen to ask him about his long history with the character, but even more importantly, Cullen also answered questions from you, the fans! Read on below to see what he had to say about Optimus Prime and to find out his responses to your questions.

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Image via Machinima, Hasbro

Image via Machinima, Hasbro

What is one thing you look for in an offer to play Optimus Prime that makes you say, “Yes”?

Peter Cullen: It'd be no surprise to say that [it's] the consistency of the character. As long as the character is the original, then it's a go. If it varies from it, without good reason or explanation, then I would ... I've never had to say, "No," but I would if it didn't meet those prerogatives.

What are the core values that make up Optimus Prime?

Cullen: Originally, the character stood out for his very demonstrative sense of trustworthiness and leadership qualities that were deeply embedded into this steel body, for one reason or another. It was the qualities of human leadership within that character, and they were all there: Strength, honesty, nobility, trustworthiness, a wonderful sense of courage that is not egotistical courage, it's more of a giving courage, a caring courage. Those qualities really stood out back then.

What do you think have been the major changes to Optimus over the years?

Cullen: Well, size. [laughs] You're going back to the truck, but in the more recent movies, the size is now 45 feet tall, subject to change. The character is still the same. They did mess with the voice a few times, putting it through a machine, which I thought rather curious, but nonetheless that character has been experimented upon over the years for a multitude of reasons, some of which I never understood but basically it comes down to merchandizing.

It’s impossible to separate you from Optimus Prime, having voiced the character for over 30 years, but looking into the far-off future, what would make you step away from voicing Optimus?

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Image via Hasbro

Image via Hasbro

Cullen: Yeah, well that's been done before. I've already rehearsed that scene. [laughs] I've only done five movies since then, so it's not like we're talking, in terms of expansive years, since 1986, I've done a few games, Machinima, the second series now with them. Other than that, it's been a very frugal way of making a living as Optimus Prime. What's in store for him, I don't know. But I'm not willing to give it up as long as it's popular and people care for it. I would respect that part and continue on without much debate. But whether or he's going to? I don't know. I can't speak for the multitude of people who are behind the steering wheel of this huge machine. If it all goes well, I'll be doing it for years to come!

What do you think is the next evolution of Optimus? And what would you like to see for the character?

Cullen: Well, in a perfect world, you would think that what he stands for would have extended out beyond himself and that other people would have started emulate his source of being, but I think there's always going to be strength and weakness, and I always think there's going to be good guys and bad guys. So aside from physical changes and the visual image, the character? It's hard to say where we're going. Nothing has really changed over the centuries, but I think there's always room for appreciating the better qualities of man, so I would think that's here to stay. [In Optimus' voice] "My answer is, I'm here to stay!"

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Image via Hasbro

Image via Hasbro

Our fan Q&A follows below:

Fan Questions

https://twitter.com/xslenderman720/status/929144463343194112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Cullen: Elation, because I had waited a couple of weeks, which is not uncommon when you're auditioning for a series and when they inform you that you have that role or that part. But more to the point, I had no idea who Optimus Prime was outside of the small audition that I did. In those days, back in the 80s, we were constantly doing cartoons, Frank Welker and I. We would meet at auditions sometimes or end up on a show and say, "Hey! You got a gig? So did I! That's great!" That's how we met by the way. Over the years, you try to add up all those feelings and say, "What actually happened?"

I remember the audition, I remember doing an impersonation of my brother who was a Marine, and heeding his advice, not to be an a-hole. Be real, don't be Hollywood, that kind of thing. An audition that lasted perhaps a few minutes ended up changing my world, my life. That character has affected many different people's lives in many different ways; I'm always overwhelmed by that, humbled by it, to tell you the truth.

Cullen: I've been influenced by the interpretations of what he looks like, and I'm never surprised. The cartoon versions have definitely made me quizzical. I do like the feature film look of him, that huge size and stuff, that really strikes a note. But you cannot forget the original Optimus Prime and "More Than Meets the Eye." It has a special sentimental flavor for me and I guess I'll always see it that way, G1.

Cullen: I don't have any plans in the near future, but if somebody asks me I certainly would consider it! I've been to China, Australia, been across the country back and forth, up and down, Canada, everywhere. London, I would be exceptional agreeable to.

Cullen: Back in those days, cartoon series were coming and going all the time. I was "dying", I put it into perspective and I realized it was permanent. I leaned across to Frank Welker and I said, "Jeez Frank, I'm gettin' zapped here, I'm gettin' whacked." And he said, "Where?" And I think he told me later on that he started thumbing through the pages rather quickly to see if the same thing should happen to him. Needless to say, he went on and I didn't, but I was kinda stunned by it, because here's what it is: The truth of what I felt inside was, "God, my character must suck! Holy God, am I that bad? Oh well, on to the next one." It's almost like a soap opera; they wanted to get rid of a troublemaker, they just killed them.

Cullen: I would probably have least-favorite scenes. [laughs] I would include, the most important one, when I did the death scene. The other ones are doing all the screaming, yelling, blood-throat scenes; those are my least favorite. My most favorite scenes, which they don't do enough, are when he's written to express compassion and understanding. They never really want to express that level of Prime, which I thought was his most important, valuable trait.

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Image via Hasbro

Image via Hasbro