Which Iconic Transformers Can Only Thrive in Solo Movies?

There are numerous iconic Transformers throughout the long-running franchise, and there’s much more than meets the eye with some of them. Though they were arguably created merely to sell toys, these characters have become iconic and beloved. Unfortunately, not all adaptations have served them well. Thus, some of these robots in disguise might benefit from a solo movie in the same vein as Bumblebee.

So far the most well-received Transformers movie, Bumblebee focused on only a few Cybertronians instead of an entire group. This same treatment can work well for other characters, namely those who were previously poorly adapted in other movies. With the series now occupying a rebooted movie continuity, there’s the chance that different Transformers can perform well in their own solo films.

10 A Jetfire Solo Movie Can Erase the Stain of Revenge of the Fallen

Jetfire is easily one of the most beloved and iconic Transformers, especially in his Generation 1 incarnation. With a toy derived from the Macross mecha anime series, he was further made unique by being one of the few flying Autobots. He also had a backstory as a humble scientist, with his best friend at that point being none other than Starscream.

This could be adapted perfectly into a movie, offering a unique twist on a Transformers film. By showcasing Starscream and Jetfire’s early friendship, the movie can have Starscream betraying his friend and trapping him in ice on Earth in the middle of the movie. Lastly, the third act can have Jetfire being revived (and possibly fighting alongside Autobots) to defeat his former friend, earning a pyrrhic victory. This would also be a lot different from the particularly poor rendition of the hero in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

9 Lockdown Can Give Transformers Fans the Robot Version of Saw

Lockdown was introduced in the cartoon Transformers: Animated, and while he works with the Decepticons, he’s theoretically not one of them. A ruthless bounty hunter, he hunts anyone for the right price and is known for keeping trophies of his victories. This ultimately proved disastrous for Ratchet and Arcee, with Lockdown torturing and stealing from the former.

A solo movie for Lockdown can showcase his adventures across the galaxy, featuring numerous other aliens as the supporting cast. Likewise, it can essentially be a sort of horror/slasher movie, with Lockdown capturing and tormenting his victims. It would be a definite change of pace, and it would put the Transformers spinoff in the realm of horror movies.

8 Beast Megatron Deserves an Introspective Origin Story

Transformers: Top 5 Best and Worst Versions of Megatron

The version of Megatron from Beast Wars: Transformers is perhaps his most iconic incarnation, as well as his deepest. Born under the supposed oppression of the Maximals as they ruled over the Predacons, Megatron (named after the G1 Decepticon leader of the same moniker) sought to free himself and other Predacons. This involved a heinous crime that sent him and several other Transformers back in time.

A Beast Megatron movie can show the Cybertronian in his youth as he stifles under the Maximal regime. From there, it can build upon why he thinks the Maximals are so bad and his aims to defeat. This can finally end with the theft of the Golden Disk, leading into the events of Beast Wars.

7 Devcon Can Offer Movie Fans a Different Kind of Autobot Hero

Seen in one episode of the Generation 1 Transformers cartoon, Devcon was a roguish Autobot bounty hunter who unwittingly came to the aid of Optimus Prime and his forces. Otherwise unaffiliated with the war on Cybertron, his story can take the franchise beyond its most familiar characters. He’s sadly been rarely used, but he’s still a fan favorite.

Whereas a Lockdown movie might be a bounty hunter horror film, a movie based around Devcon can essentially be a space Western. Showing the Cybertronian bounty hunter use his wits and gunslinger skills would be a stark contrast to mere bombast and explosions. Thus, the solo movie might be made to be the “thinking man’s Transformers movie.”

6 A Prowl Movie Can Showcase Cybertronian Law Enforcement

Though he was a somewhat major part of Generation 1, Prowl has yet to appear in the live-action Transformers movies. An interesting way to focus on him might be a solo movie that functions as a police procedural set on Cybertronian. Police officer Prowl might patrol the streets of Iacon, trying to keep the peace between Autobots and Decepticons as the war between the two grows worse.

This might offer a more “street level” take on Transformers while also building upon the unseen early days of the war. Most importantly, it can finally showcase a beloved Autobot who’s never been used in a live-action movie. By finally focusing on him, it can also offer the best take on the sometimes overlooked Prowl yet.

5 Blaster Can Bring Sound and Fury to the Big Screen

How the Autobot Blaster Differs in the Transformers Comics

Soundwave was already poorly adapted in the Michael Bay Transformers movies, but Blaster was thankfully spared such treatment. A Blaster solo movie can combine his G1 cartoon and comic book incarnations, making him a rebellious and boisterous disk jockey who despises the Decepticons. This can lead to a showdown against his nemesis Soundwave, perhaps recalling their battle in the cartoon.

A movie featuring Blaster can have an almost conspiratorial and espionage tone, playing with the idea of communication that’s central to Blaster’s character. Likewise, he can embody an underground resistance against the Decepticons, showing that not all Autobots fought on the front lines. Most importantly, it would give Blaster a major role after decades of obscurity.

4 A Grimlock Movie Can Smash Through the Character’s G1 History

Grimlock and the Dinobots were adapted quite poorly in Transformers: Age of Extinction. Nevertheless, the rebooted movie continuity can give him a fresh interpretation, exploring his roots as a violent, if dimwitted Dinobot commander. Finally, it can showcase his “degradation” in the original cartoon’s third season, with the once powerful fighter now something of a buffoon.

In this way, Grimlock can be the Wolverine of the Autobots, with the movie’s final act perhaps emulating the dark and melancholy Logan. It would be an unconventional way of handling the character, especially since it directly acknowledges his less well-liked portrayal in the cartoon’s later episodes. In the end, however, it would given Grimlock a lot more depth than usual, proving once and for all that he truly is “king.”

3 A Sideways Movie Can Feature the Most Traitorous Transformer

Sideways from Transformers: Armada was easily one of the coolest parts of that show, namely due to his toy’s gimmick. An emissary of Unicron, he disguised himself as a loyal member of both the Autobots and the Decepticons. All that time, however, he was actually serving his dark master and preparing the way for his return.

A Sideways movie can show the origins of the character, namely how and when Unicron sent him forth to do his bidding. It would still have several Transformers and tons of action, with Sideways fighting on different sides at certain points of the movie. This can make it into as much of a drama as it is a blockbuster.

2 Vector Prime’s Movie Can Tap Into Multiverse Mania

Vector Prime was a character introduced in Transformers: Cybertron, with later entries in the series establishing him as one of the 13 original Transformers. He sometimes travels to different worlds and time periods, even having multiversal knowledge. This makes him the right candidate to portray one of Hollywood’s favorite trend.

The success of certain movies, namely superhero movies starring Spider-Man, have made the multiverse into a winning concept on the big screen. A Vector Prime movie can show him trying to get back into his own time period after being attacked by Unicron, with each Transformer he meets being from different timelines. It would be the ultimate way to use the multiverse trend while also delivering fanservice.

1 A Dinobot Movie Could Flesh Out His Code of Honor

Why This Forgotten Dinobot Transformer Deserves a Legacy Toy

Seemingly unrelated to the G1 Dinobots, Dinobot from Beast Wars: Transformers started out as a Predacon. Nevertheless, his wounded pride and code of honor saw him dessert the team for the Maximals. He obviously never got along with Megatron, but the show failed to explain this.

A Dinobot solo movie can finally showcase his backstory, namely how he developed his code of honor. It might be set across his life, even ending with his iconic final battle from the episode “Code of Hero.” By making this happen, a Dinobot movie will be the best in the Transformers series, much like how the episode with Dinobot’s death is still a classic.