Beast Machines: The Divisive Transformers Sequel Rise Of The Beasts Must Avoid

Contains spoilers for "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts"

The latest installment of the "Transformers" franchise, "Rise of the Beasts," is the seventh live-action film to come out since 2007. It'd be easy for these movies to blend together at a certain point, but this one differentiates itself by introducing the Maximals to general audiences. Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman) and his brethren aid the Autobots in stopping Scourge (Peter Dinklage) from bringing Unicron (Colman Domingo) to Earth. For fans of the original "Beast Wars" series from the 1990s, it's been a long time coming and a great way for these films to stay fresh. 

By the end of the film, three Maximals are left on Earth after Airazor (Michelle Yeoh) becomes corrupted, requiring Optimus Primal to kill her. That means any potential sequels to "Rise of the Beasts" could bring them back. But while fans may be ecstatic to see "Beast Wars" get some more attention in the mainstream, any prospective "Rise of the Beasts" sequels would do well to avoid adapting anything from "Beast Machines: Transformers."

This animated TV series was a direct sequel to "Beast Wars" that ran for two seasons from 1999 to 2000. It was ambitious for a "Transformers" cartoon, dealing with heady philosophical concepts, like the consequences of blind fanaticism and issues that come with living in an increasingly technological society. However, other aspects of the show caused fans to criticize it at the time of its release, and those feelings have remained to this day. That means if the Maximals factor into future "Transformers" movies, it'd probably be best to avoid any mention of "Beast Machines."

"Beast Machines" pretty much started on the wrong foot with long-time "Transformers" fans as the first episode begins in media res when the Maximals have amnesia. Combined with heavy serialization, it was difficult for newcomers to become immersed in this world, with the show really requiring people to pay attention and understand "Transformers" lore. The criticisms didn't end there, as many also took umbrage with the fact that many characters were vastly different from their portrayals in "Beast Wars," such as Megatron being far grimmer. He basically engaged in Transformers cannibalism by eating Sparks, which is easily one of the most terrible things a Transformer has ever done. 

Despite fans not receiving the series well, Hasbro appears to have liked it just fine. Story editor Bob Skir did an interview in 2013 where he discussed the show's legacy and revealed how Hasbro approached him to continue the series. But he planned this show to have a beginning, middle, and end within its 26 episodes, so he didn't see a reason to continue past that. Perhaps the show could've turned things around in the eyes of fans, but as it stands, it remains one of the most contentious pieces of "Transformers" media.

Fans probably don't need to worry too much about a potential "Beast Machines" film adaptation. "Rise of the Beasts" already plays pretty fast and loose with the canon established in "Beast Wars," and that's the show far more people like. "Beast Machines" also sees the Maximals back on Cybertron, where most of the action takes place, which wouldn't really gel with the Earth-based adventures the live-action films have adopted. "Beast Machines" will likely remain a relic of another time, but it's free to watch on Tubi and Pluto TV in case you're curious about what the hubbub is about.