The Transformers The franchise has been adapted into different realms many times over the years, from a toy line to a comic book series, several animated series and a series of live-action blockbusters. It has now taken the form of a computer-animated feature film Transformers One.
Touted as an “untold origin story,” written by Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari and set on the planet Cybertron, Transformers One revolves around the history of the Transformers and the relationship of two workers, Orion Pax and D-16, who, as Optimus Prime and Megatron, go from brothers in arms to sworn enemies, a conflict that changes the fate of Cybertron forever. (If you’ve driven down Sunset Boulevard recently, you may have seen the billboard with the winning slogan “Bros Before Foes.”)
The prominent voice cast of the film, directed by Josh Cooley, includes Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne and Jon Hamm.
Find out who voices which character below.
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Chris Hemsworth as Orion Pax
Photo credit: Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures
The Australian superstar takes on the role of Orion Pax, the future leader of the Autobots once he transforms into Optimus Prime. As the story begins, Orion Pax and D-16 find themselves at the bottom of the pecking order as worker bots in the Energon mines deep within Cybertron in Iacon City. They eventually team up to solve an ancient secret that ultimately drives them apart. “Like many of my friends, I grew up with Transformers and cartoons,” said Hemsworth. “I later became a huge fan of the movies. Just being involved in that is incredible; lending your voice to Optimus is a whole other level.”
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Brian Tyree Henry as D-16
Photo credit: John Nacion/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures
The long-standing Transformers Fan provides the voice of D-16, the future Megatron. “At the beginning, D-16 is a fierce, smart, hard-working individual who follows the rules and hates injustice. He strives for more, but he will not cross any boundaries. When he realizes that all he thinks he knows is just life, disillusionment changes him,” Henry explains in the film’s production notes.
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Scarlett Johansson as Elita-1
Photo credit: Joe Maher/Getty Images
The seasoned A-lister takes on the role of a mining executive who reluctantly joins the journey to the surface of Cybertron but ultimately drives the other robots to become what they must be amidst the conflict and adventure. “Casting an actress like Scarlett with her acting ability and iconic voice was so impactful,” says executive producer Zev Foreman, head of Hasbro’s motion picture division, in the production notes.
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Keegan-Michael Key as B-127
Photo credit: Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures
The veteran comedy star takes on the role of B-127, who eventually becomes Bumblebee. The familiar robot is mostly mute in other chapters of the story, but in this version, the younger version is much more talkative – and hilariously so. “We decided to make him extremely talkative. In fact, he never stops talking,” Cooley said. “I immediately thought of Keegan. He can say any line of dialogue he wants and it’s funny. That’s just a fact.”
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Steve Buscemi as Decepticon Starscream
Photo credit: Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures
The popular character actor voices Decepticon Starscream, the second-in-command of the Decepticons, a group of evil alien robots who want to conquer Cybertron and the rest of the universe. “Steve was always the first choice,” Cooley previously confirmed. “He was just perfect. I’ve always admired his work. It was so great to be able to describe what I was looking for and hear him say, ‘Great, let’s do it.’ And then he just jumped in the booth and started screaming.” That’s why some have described the turn as “gonzo.”
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Laurence Fishburne as Alpha Trion
Photo credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO
Often referred to as an elder statesman or mentor, Alpha Trion is considered one of the oldest living Transformers, once believed to have died alongside the Primes. In his younger years, he played a crucial role in establishing Cybertron’s dominance as an independent galactic power. He is generous with wise advice and aids Optimus Prime and Elita-1.
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Jon Hamm as Sentinel Prime
Photo credit: Lionel Hahn/Getty Images
The mad Men Star, who recently received an Emmy nomination for his performance Fargotakes on the role of Sentinel Prime, known as the leader of Iacon City. “Jon’s portrayal of Sentinel Prime is exactly what we hoped it would be,” says producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura in the production notes. “He’s a man of command. He’s the epitome of the leader you want in a society like this. And then you see the dark side of that character. It’s really quite shocking.”
