Transformers is known for being “more than meets the eye.” But when it comes to the characters from Transformers One, it’s more than meets the eyes, nose, and mouth.
The first trailer for the upcoming animated origin story landed this week and it revealed new looks for the iconic characters, as well as a decidedly goofy tone. Since the film is about two best friends becoming mortal enemies, we’re guessing that tone shifts a bit at some point. And the same is probably true for the looks of the characters—which, after seeing the trailer and some new character posters, feel much more human than we’re used to.
In other iterations, the Transformers have had human facial features. During battles though, and sometimes in dialogue-heavy scenes, those are usually covered by something machine-like, which makes them seem more robotic (and easier for animators). That happens in this trailer too but you get the sense that, with all the playful banter, these designs are meant to be more relatable. And frankly, we’re not sure how we feel about the blocky noses, thin lips, and dead eyes.
You can get a closer look at the four main characters—Orion Pax/Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth), D-16/Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry), Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson), and B-127/Bumblebee (Keegan-Michael Key)–in new character posters that follow, and let us know how you feel in the comments.