Is Bumblebee Before or After Transformers?

The Bumblebee reboot is a topic of much discussion among fans of the Transformers franchise. Unlike the other movies in the Bayverse, this film takes a few elements from the classic series but predominantly harkens back to G1, the original animated series.

Origins as a Reboot

Bumblebee is essentially a "prequel" of sorts, set in 1986, the same year as the original animated Transformers movie was released and the first Bay film in 2007. Originally, the plan was written as a prequel, but this concept evolved into a full-blown reboot of the franchise. The transformation is evident in the overall look and design of the Transformers, which now more closely resemble the classic designs. Additionally, the mouth designs of the characters also carry this retro aesthetic.

Callbacks and Contradictions

The movie includes several callbacks to the original series, such as references to Sector 7 and how Bumblebee later scans the car that Sam finds him. However, there are significant contradictions in the story. For instance, Sector 7, who should have known about Transformers given their capture of Megaton, seem to have no prior knowledge of them. Similarly, Bumblebee's interactions with the other Autobots at the end of the film conflict with the earlier scenes where he claims to have different missions and has not fought in WWII, as suggested in "The Last Knight." Another minor contradiction exists in how the characters already know English without the use of the internet.

Shift to a New Universe

Despite starting as a prequel, the film was ultimately scrapped to become a complete reboot. This means that the events of the Bumblebee movie do not occur within the Bayverse. Instead, it starts a new, separate universe, meaning nothing shown in the Bumblebee movie is part of the Bayverse. Travis Knight's direction in this reboot took a different approach, focusing on a fun, entertaining, epic, and action-packed narrative. Bumblebee's success has led to fans eagerly awaiting a sequel, as seen in the quote: "I really want a Bumblebee 2 movie. We all need that."

Iron Man Out!