Transformers: Rise of the Beasts: Peter Cullen Reflects on Decades of Voicing Optimus Prime in New Featurette

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is bringing a lot of new things to the long-running action franchise, introducing characters we’ve never seen before and setting its story in a different time period than the other films. There is one major constant, though. Optimus Prime will sound the same as he always has. Peter Cullen is once again going to provide the stoic voice for the leader of the Autobots.

Cullen originated the role of Optimus Prime in the original Transformers animated series, and his voice has become synonymous with the character. Much like Kevin Conroy and Batman, Cullen and Prime will always be connected in the minds of fans. With Rise of the Beasts, Cullen is nearing 40 years as Optimus Prime, and Paramount released a new featurette that highlights the journey for both the character and the actor. Take a look!

“When I voiced Prime for the very first time, I was living with my brother Larry, who was a Marine,” Cullen says in the video. “I said, “I’m going to an audition. I’m gonna be a truck.’ And he started to laugh and he said, ‘A truck?!’ And I said, ‘This is a leader. This is a hero.’ And his demeanor just changed. He just went, ‘Peter. If you’re going to be a leader, be strong enough to be gentle.’ And I got to the audition and I said, ‘My name is Optimus Prime, from the planet Cybertron.’ I had no doubt that this is what a hero should sound like, and I was convinced I was gonna get that role.”

“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has the same ingredients that were there at the beginning. There’s that integrity, there’s a dignity, there’s courage. It’s an honor to be able to do this character. I’ve talked to a lot of people who grew up with Transformers, and I don’t take them for granted. I love you guys.”

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which premieres on June 9th, is the seventh movie in the live-action Transformers franchise. Inspired by the fan-favorite reboot of the series, the iconic Beast Wars, the movie is a globetrotting adventure set in the 1990s complete with an era-specific soundtrack. Peter Cullen returns to voice Optimus Prime in the new movie, appearing alongside other Autobots and Decepticons including Bumblebee and Pete Davidson as Mirage. Other factions from the Transformers franchise like the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons will also appear, with Ron Perlman set to voice the gorilla-inspired Optimus Primal. Directed by Creed II‘s Steven Caple Jr. the film stars Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback on the human side with Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh voicing the Maximal Airazor.