Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts First Look: It's Getting Wild Out There

With "Transformers," there's always more than meets the eye. They will never stop making sequels, and for some of us who may have played with the toys as kids but haven't seen a "Transformers" movie since "Revenge of the Fallen" in 2009, it can be confusing trying to keep up with all the new franchise entries.

All you need to know right now about "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" is that it's a direct sequel to "Bumblebee," the 2018 installment starring Hailee Steinfeld. The movie's director, Steven Caple Jr., has taken to Instagram to share some images of the vehicles that you'll be able to see transforming in it.

No longer are there just Autobots and Decepticons. In fact, according to MovieWeb, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura is of the mind that the franchise "had somewhat exhausted ... the battle between Decepticons and Autobots." So it is that there are now Maximals and Predacons and Terrorcons, oh my. It's the Autobots and Terrorcons that Caple Jr. showed off.

More Than Meets the Eye

First, the Autobots. You'll notice a yellow-and-black Chevy Camaro up there: that's Bumblebee, of course. You'll also notice a familiar red semi-truck — that's Optimus Prime. He'll be voiced by Peter Cullen in "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," which draws inspiration from the old "Beast Wars: Transformers" cartoon series.

They may look like simple cars and a motorcycle, but in keeping with Transformers tradition, they're "robots in disguise." The other Autobots are Mirage (Porsche), Arcee (motorcycle), and Wheeljack (Volkswagen van).

That takes care of the good guys, but what about the bad guys? 

Well, since they're giving the Decepticons a rest this time around, now we've got Terrorcons, who sound positively terrifying. Caple Jr. gave us a look at three of the Terrorcons, and as you might expect, they have tinted windows. Because they're evil!

Scourge, the logging truck, is the leader of the Terrorcons. He's joined by Nightbird, a female Nissan Skyline GT-R R33. No word yet on the name of that dark tow truck, the third and final Terrorcon.

Not pictured are the Maximals, who will be led by none other than Ron Perlman as the voice of Optimus Primal. He transforms into a gorilla, and he's got some pals who transform into a rhino, a cheetah, and a peregrine falcon. Pals like that might come in handy in a bar fight ... or a robot fight.

It's safe to say, they're here to put the "beasts" in "Rise of the Beasts." 

We'll keep you posted on "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," which is bound for U.S. theaters on June 4, 2022.