Transformers One is the best Transformers movie in years, and potentially the best film in the entire franchise, but the next movie in the series will likely be much different. Transformers One was the first animated theatrical Transformers movie since 1986's The Transformers: The Movie. Considering how successful the animated Transformers shows have been, it is shocking that there haven't been more animated films. While the film was not a huge hit at the box office, it has a Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 89% and an amazing audience score of 98%.

Dedicated Transformers fans definitely want more animated Transformers films, but the series has always been more focused on live-action movies. Compared to the two animated films, there have been seven live-action Transformers movies. Director Transformers movies unfortunately focus on human characters too much.

Transformers One Is A Reminder That Transformers Doesn’t Need Human Characters

Humans Are Usually The Focus In Transformers Movies

Every single live-action Transformers movie has centered on a human character. The first three Michael Bay Transformers films followed Shia LaBeouf's Sam as he got caught up in numerous battles between the Autobots and Decepticons. Then, after LaBeouf exited the franchise, Mark Wahlberg's Cade Yeager took over the leading role. Bumblebee was centered around Hailee Steinfeld as Charlie, and Rise of the Beasts introduced audiences to Anthony Romas' Noah Diaz.

While there is room for human characters in Transformers movies, Transformers One proves that humans don't always have to be the protagonists. There are no human characters in Transformers One, since the film is set on the plant Cybertron. Instead of primarily following human characters, the plot of Transformers One showcases the brotherly relationship between Optimus Prime and Megatron. Since Transformers One is the highest-rated Transformers film in years, it is clear that these movies don't need human characters to be successful.

Transformers’ Next Film Will Continue The Live-Action Franchise’s Dependence On Humans

Transformers 8 Will Feature A Major Crossover

However, after the strong character development of Optimus Prime and Megatron in Transformers One, many are disappointed that a sequel to the film has not been announced. While it is unknown whether a sequel to Transformers One will happen, an eighth live-action Transformers movie is currently being developed. However, based on what is known about the eighth live-action Transformers movie, it is clear that it will not follow in the footsteps of Transformers One, and will once again prominently feature human characters.

Instead of focusing on popular Autobots such as Optimus Prime and Mirage, the next Transformers film will likely follow Noah and other of G.I. Joe.

While not many details are known about the live-action Transformers movie, it has been confirmed to be a crossover between Transformers and G.I. Joe. This crossover was teased during at the end of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, in which Noah Diaz was approached by Agent Burke, who works for G.I. Joe. Therefore, instead of focusing on popular Autobots such as Optimus Prime and Mirage, the next Transformers film will likely follow Noah and other of G.I. Joe.

Transformers’ Live-Action Movies Still Have A Lot To Learn From The Animated Side Of The Franchise

There Have Been Many Animated Transformers Series

The crossover between Transformers and G.I. Joe is still very exciting, but the Transformers live-action movies should pay more attention to the animated side of the franchise. There have been several animated Transformers series, which date back decades before the live-action movies came around. Therefore, the Transformers franchise is rooted in animation, and the animated shows feature many of the best Transformers stories ever. Transformers: Prime and the original series, The Transformers, for example, are two of the best animated Transformers shows.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts actually did honor the franchise's roots in a lot of ways, taking inspiration from the animated show Beast Wars: Transformers. Therefore, hopefully the next live-action Transformers film continues to take inspiration from the franchise's extensive animated history. Transformers One proved that today's audiences can feel attached to Transformers characters without a human by their side, so hopefully the crossover movie won't only focus on human characters. The future of the Transformers franchise is exciting, but its focus should be on the most iconic Transformers characters.