Aquaman will no doubt rule the box office when it's released this December but it's going to have some serious competition from Bumblebee. While The Last Knight was ultimately a disappointment at the box office, this spinoff looks so different, it's hard to imagine moviegoers not being intrigued.
During a Hall H panel at the San Diego Comic-Con last night, Paramount Pictures dropped a lot of big new details about Bumblebee and showed off plenty of revealing footage from Travis Knight's movie.
Unfortunately, that hasn't been released online but we've got an in-depth breakdown for you below along with a recap of some of the biggest moments from the movie's panel and even video of the entire thing for you to check out. To take a look, all you have to do is click on the "View List" button.
Escape From Cybertron
The footage shown kicks off with a Bumblebee who has only recently escaped from Cybertron to Earth; the Autobot is being hunted down by humans and a Decepticon jet who has previously been wrongly identified as Starscream. However, that's not actually the case as it's now been confirmed that he's actually Blitzwing, a villainous robot who just so happens to also be a jet. Then, things get nasty...
Bumblebee Vs. Blitzwing
Blitzwing and Bumblebee have what's described as a brutal fight on the side of a mountain and while you may think the hero would emerge victorious, he actually loses. The Decepticon grabs him by the neck, sentences him to death, and proceeds to drop the beloved Autobot off the side of the cliff.
Close to death and about to shut down, Bumblebee spots a yellow VW Bettle and transforms into one. This is how Hailee Steinfeld's Charlie comes into play as she ends up getting the car for her birthday.
Shatter And Dropkick
As the footage continues, we learn that there's a reason why Bumblebee escaped from Cybertron and while we don't learn what exactly that was, it's a big enough deal that Decepticons Shatter and Dropkick have also come to Earth in order to hunt him down. They're voiced by Angela Basset and Justin Theroux and it was revealed during the panel that they're triple-changers; in other words, they can appear in their true forms, as muscle cars, or even as a Harrier jet and helicopter, respectively.
A Surprising Cameo
As the story progresses, the Decepticons team up with the humans - led by John Cena's villainous character - as their missions seemingly have a lot in common. Realising they're going to need help, Charlie asks Bumblebee if he has friends who can help and it's then that we see a hologram of none other than G1 Optimus Prime. It's a seriously cool moment and the hero is voiced by Peter Cullen.
Whether or not he'll have much of a role beyond that remains to be seen but as cameos go, this should be a lot of fun for fans of the franchise, especially as Prime will be appearing in a different form.
Bumblebee Will Be An Origin Story
While you might think that Transformers actually served as an origin story for Bumblebee, the Autobot's solo movie will actually serve that purpose according to director Travis Knight. "This is an origin story. Bumblee has always had the greatest connection with humans and humanity. What is it about him and us that can connect them together. We find out who he was before he met us, then we see how he becomes who he becomes and why, and then what he does after that."
We're Visiting Cybertron
There have been reports that we're getting an animated movie set on Cybertron but Bumblebee will officially feature some live-action scenes set on the iconic home of the Transformers. It sounds like the scenes will be relatively brief but fans will still no doubt appreciate finally paying a visit to the planet.
What's The Deal With Charlie?
Hailee Steinfeld (who pulled double duty at Comic-Con yesterday by appearing on both this panel and the Sony one immediately afterwards) was asked about what we should expect from her character and said: "We meet her as a typical misunderstood teenager that has suffered a major loss in her life. She is looking for freedom, fill that void that she has. Looking for love, that she finds in a car that is more than a car. And then there is a sort of a love story that emerges." That all sounds pretty cool, right?
John Cena's Villain
John Cena talked about finally getting to play a villain a lot during this panel (he's been a good guy in WWE for years now) and when Knight was asked what we should expect from Burns, he said: "Burns is very interesting. I mean, it is easy but too easy to have a moustache twirling bad guy and so Burns is in some ways pretty right. But he is grey and I think 2018 is a tough place to live thanks to the Transformers." It sounds like he'll be a more layered Transformers villain than we're used to.
An Optimus Prime Movie Could Be Next
One of the coolest moments during this panel came when Peter Cullen made a surprise appearance to request a solo movie for Optimus Prime. Nothing was confirmed but the fact Paramount has even teased the idea is bound to get fans talking and it's now easy to imagine that becoming a reality should Bumblebee prove to be a success when it's released this coming December. Here's hoping, eh?
Do these new details about Bumblebee get you more excited about the upcoming Transformers spinoff? How do you feel about visiting Cybertron? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
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