Keegan-Michael Key Talks Becoming Bumblebee & More
‘Transformers One’ Exclusive: Keegan-Michael Key Reveals Which Transformers He Would Like To See Jordan Peele Lend His Voice To
It’s been a long time since we got a Transformers movie on par with the 1986 animated film, but thankfully, with the arrival of Transformers One, that streak has ended.
Transformers One gives fans of the iconic cartoon franchise a story they have yet to experience in film or television: the origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron before they became bitter rivals in the civil war that ravaged their home planet of Cybertron.
In the animated feature, we meet Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and his friend D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry), two regular mine workers who cannot transform. Orion yearns for something greater while D-16 follows the rules, but a deceptive plot takes shape, pushes them out of the confines of their everyday lives, and will go on to change their lives in Cybertron forever.
Orion and D-16 will not embark on this journey alone. Elita One (Scarlett Johansson) and B-127, aka Bumblebee (Keegan-Michael Key), join the adventure.
Ahead of the movie’s release, Cassius Life’s Bernard “Beanz” Smalls spoke with Keegan-Michael Key about taking on the role of everyone’s favorite yellow Autobot, Transformers using four-letter words and which Transformer he could see his buddy Jordan Peele lending his voice to.
Keegan-Michael Key Feels Everything Aligned For Him In Getting The Chance To Voice Bumblebee
Source: Paramount Animation / Hasbro / Transformers One
The comedian/actor is an admitted fan of Transformers, revealing as a kid, he used to rush home to catch episodes of the cartoon. So it should come as no surprise that it’s a big deal to voice Bumblebee, who has been a voiceless character thanks to recent Michael Bay films.
“I’m beside myself with excitement, that I just feel so fortunate that everything aligned this way. That’s kind of how our business works too,” Key tells Cassius Life. “You do a project, and you never know what it’s going to lead to. I had such a wonderful time doing Toy Story 4 with Josh Cooley, the director of this movie, never knowing that this would be the next step, and so for him to ask me to do this, it’s been such a gift for me.”
Keegan-Michael Key Reveals Which Transformers Would Have Extreme Potty Mouths
Source: Paramount Animation / Hasbro / Transformers One
For those who saw 1986’s Transformers: The Movie, many were shocked when Spike, Bumblebee’s human homie, dropped an “oh sh*t” bomb in one scene.
In Transformers One, we don’t get a real crazy four-letter word moment, but Bumblebee does introduce himself to Orion Pax and B-16 as “Badassatron.”
We asked Key which of the Transformers he felt would be cursing up a storm. In particular, he thinks these two robots in disguise would have potty mouths that would need to be washed out with motor oil.
“I think that there’s two Transformers. One of them is a Transformer that Brian Tyree Henry talks about a lot named Ratchet, which I think is funny given what Ratchet means now in this day and age,” Key said. “But then also, you know who would be swearing all the time, Megatron. How they don’t have Megatron swearing in the Michael Bay movies is beyond me, because he’s just, as we used to say back in Detroit, he’s scantless.”
Which Transformer Would Jordan Peele Be?
Source: Variety / Getty
Of course, you don’t speak with Keegan-Michael Key and not ask about his comedic partner in crime, Jordan Peele. We asked him what Transformer he thinks would be a good fit for Peele to lend his voice to, and he revealed he thinks his friend could play one of the mightiest Transformers ever to live, not named Optimus Prime.
“I think that he could play Alpha Trion. I think he’d be great. Nobody can replace Laurence Fishburne, but I think if you were just casting, if it was a clean slate, and you were recasting, I could see Jordan playing Alpha Trion,” Key said.
Transformers One transforms and rolls out in theaters on September 20; you can watch the entire interview above.
