How Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts' Primus Easter Egg Sets The Stage For Future Films

Warning: spoilers ahead for "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts."

With the release of "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," the live-action "Transformers" franchise is back for at least a little while — although Paramount and director Steven Caple Jr. already have big plans for the future. While the specifics of what they're cooking up remain elusive, we know that it is probably going to involve "G.I. Joe" on some level and might even shed additional light on the history of the Autobots and Decepticons. What's more, an Easter egg from the climax to "Rise of the Beasts" suggests another important "Transformers" character is about to make their live-action debut.

That would be a reference to Primus, a (quite literally) huge figure from the franchise who gets named-dropped during the movie's third act. We'll get to why Primus matters in a minute. First, here's what Caple had to offer Collider about that name-drop and what it means for the future:

"Scourge is about to kill Prime. No spoiler alerts, and he lifts up his blade, and he's like, 'Primus would be ashamed.' And I feel like that's one of the first times we actually mentioned Primus in the storyline, and the fact that now we have the ability to open up the door and tap into where the Autobots actually came from, and who are they? I feel like even when I'm talking to my mom, she's like, 'I love Transformers, but what are talking robots and where are they from?' Now I feel like in the next films, there's Easter eggs in this film that we can set up to say, 'Hey, we wanna go further into that direction and explain things like that.'"

Now, for those who may not be familiar, Primus is an immensely important figure in the history of "Transformers." In essence, the entire race of robot alien beings starts with him. Not for nothing, but he's even related to the planet-eating Unicron, a character who played a major role in "Rise of the Beasts" and may yet prove to have a future in the live-action "Transformers" films. Rather than go into an overly-complex history of the character, here's a little overview of who Primus is and why he matters directly from the Transformers Wiki:

"Primus is the creator-god of the Transformers. An ancient and ethereal being whose origins date back to the beginnings of the universe itself, Primus is a multiversal force for good, his life force existing across multiple realities and infinite alternate universes. In each one, he is the final defense against his fallen sibling, Unicron the Chaos-Bringer. Primus eventually transformed himself into the planet Cybertron."

So yeah, lots to play with there. The fact that Optimus Prime is obsessed with making his way back to Cybertron in "Rise of the Beasts" already provides some pretty heavy connective tissue to lead us to Primus. Not to mention the fact that the Autobots have now pissed off Unicron something fierce. There is much to explore and it sounds like Steven Caple Jr. is thinking long-term. This isn't just some random Easter egg for the sake of Easter eggs.

"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" is currently playing in theaters.