Transformers One director Josh Cooley has explained the movie's decision to change Megatron's origin story. The trailer for the animated prequel film shows a young Optimus Prime and Megatron before they adopt their more popular names, Orion Pax and D-16, respectively. Fans of the Transformers comics noted that the movie seems to present a very different origin story for Megatron, who is typically portrayed as a gladiator on Cybertron before becoming the leader of the Decepticons.

In an interview with IndieWire, Cooley explained that the film changed Megatron's origin from that of a gladiator to that of a bunkmate of Optimus Prime when they both worked as miners. The change in the origin was due to the film's confirmed 90-minute runtime and to streamline everything as opposed to the comics, where they come from different worlds with Megatron as a warrior and Optimus as an academic. Cooley explains that they originally had a sequence that referenced Megatron as a gladiator, but it was sadly cut, and they said that if they had had more time in the film, they would have kept it. Cooley said:

“If we had all the time in the world, it would’ve been fun to show Megatron as a gladiator and have the two characters come from very different backgrounds. We actually had a gladiator scene that alluded to this origin that was cut out.”

Transformers One Is a New Start for the Series

The origin of Optimus Prime and Megatron is one of the most exciting elements in the wider Transformers franchise. While not part of the character's initial backstory during the 1980s, it was introduced in the early 2000s as part of DreamWave Productions' new comic line based around the Transformers and has since been explored in comics and video games. Though it has rarely has been touched upon in the films. The closest fans got to it was in 2007's Transformers when Optimus Prime refers to a then-dead Megatron as "brother," but it is not clear if he means literal brother or as brother in arms.

Megatron's origin was teased a bit more in the critically panned Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen as to serving a master known as The Fallen, and the trailer for Transformers One seems to hint at them putting their spin on that as Megatron finds the symbol of The Fallen, one that will eventually become the Decepticon logo.

Transformers One will also mark the first time Megatron has been seen on screen in seven years, as his last appearance was in 2017's Transformers: The Last Knight. Both Bumblebee and Transformers: Rise of the Beastsopted to put the focus on new villains. While Transformers: One is looking to be within its own continuity, set apart from both the live-action film series and the various animated Transformers projects, it has the potential to have a big impact on the series moving forward.

While early reaction to the trailer for Transformers One was mixed, with many put off by the more kid-friendly aspect of the toy-based movie, early word of mouth from the Annecy Animation Film Festival has been extremely positive. It could have a similar impact as another Paramount animated film based on a popular 80s toy line and cartoon series, 2023's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which breathed new life into the franchise, gaining the best critical reaction on Rotten Tomatoes and earning high praise from fans and critics alike.

Transformers One opens in theaters on September 20, 2024.