The Transformers Franchise Is in Trouble (but There’s One Bright Spot)

Let’s not beat around the bush: as a franchise, Transformers is in deep trouble. This is especially true for the saga on the big screen, where audiences have begun to give this series the cold shoulder no matter how positive the critical reception is. In 2023, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts became the lowest-grossing live-action Transformers movie in history. This past September, Transformers One outright bombed with a $128.27 million worldwide haul on a $75 million budget.

No wonder Hasbro has announced it’s pulling back on co-financing movie adaptations of its toys. To rub salt into the wounds, there isn’t a massive culture-defining animated Transformers TV show currently on the airwaves introducing these characters to a new generation of youngsters. Even the toys haven’t been making much in the way of headlines beyond collectibles aimed at nostalgic adults. How did the Transformers franchise get into this shape? On a happier note, though, how could there also be a spark of hope for this long-running saga?

How the Transformers Franchise Got Into Trouble

The Transformers saga got into its current position simply by exhausting nostalgia for as long as it could. The ’80s kids who grew up on “The Touch” and Peter Cullen’s iconic Optimus Prime kept coming out to the original Transformers movies (despite their toxic reviews and eschewing of Transformers canon) and buying merchandise. However, it’s clear now that titles like Transformers: Age of Extinction didn’t do much to cultivate the next generation of Transformers fans. By the time superior family-friendly movies like Bumblebee and Transformers One opened, it was too late. The well had been tainted.

In terms of yesteryear pop culture properties that appeal to youngsters and adults alike, the world has moved on to things like Sonic the Hedgehog or The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Meanwhile, children’s television, the domain the Transformers first exploded in back in the 1980s, no longer belongs to these robots. 2010s animated Transformers shows like Transformers: Prime or Transformers: Robots in Disguise couldn’t hold a candle to the popularity of, say, Adventure Time or Steven Universe.

With this inability to generate new fans, Transformers is stuck in an awkward situation. People recognize Optimus Prime, but they also don’t have tremendously fond memories associated with either him or the franchise he originated from. Still, even in the midst of this turmoil, hope springs eternal. The comic book incarnations of the Transformers offer some hope that these characters aren’t gone just yet.

[RELATED: Michael Bay’s Transformers Movies Were Almost Derailed After the First Film]

Hope Lies Not in the Stars but in Comics

In 2023, Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics began running a series of Transformers comics that immediately captured the public’s imagination. Not only have sales been strong for these comics, but they’ve also garnered incredibly positive reviews championing how well they make the various Autobots and Decepticons dramatically compelling characters. Also running simultaneously is another acclaimed Transformers comic book line, Energon Universe, overseen by Invincible creator Robert Kirkman.

Energon Universe also garnered positive marks from readers, particularly for the creative ways it incorporated new details into Transformers lore. While these comic sagas feature visuals and storyline details harkening back to older Transformers mythos, it’s also clear they’re generating fanbases unique unto themselves. Right now, the passionate fervor surrounding these Transformers comics is evocative of how IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics got that franchise back on its feet. The miniseries The Last Ronin especially overhauled expectations for what a Ninja Turtles story could look and feel like.

Those creative risks led to a resurging Ninja Turtles fanbase that was more than ready to embrace new movies like 2023’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Only time will tell if the ongoing comic book exploits of Transformers lead to a similar renaissance. For now, though, these successful comics show that these characters can still garner new fans and anchor compelling stories.

Best of all, they offer a glimmer of hope that this saga can evolve beyond just evoking 1980s nostalgia or reminding people of terrible Michael Bay movies. A fresh generation could have versions of Optimus Prime and Cybertron of their own that rekindle a love for this fictional mechanical world. These Autobots may have been knocked out at the box office, but they’re most certainly not down and out just yet. Like Ninja Turtles, Transformers are finding a brand new lease on life in the wide, exciting world of comic books.

Transformers One is now streaming on Paramount+