D-16 wasn’t always the nefarious Decepticon leader Megatron, at least according to the continuity of Transformers One. The recent animated prequel takes the opportunity to show off a new side of the villainous robot, walking viewers through his evolution from a well-meaning Cybertronian to the greatest villain in Transformers’ history. Following its run at the box office, Transformers One will arrive on home video on October 22nd and we here at ComicBook.com have an exclusive clip that dives further into D-16’s character, along with actor Brian Tyree Henry talking about taking on the role. D-16 is one of the film’s most complicated Transformers so getting a breakdown of his evolution works on quite a few levels.
To give you a quick breakdown of D-16’s character in Transformers One, the future Decepticon leader was originally best friends with Orion Pax, aka the future Optimus Prime. Long before they led their respective factions, the pair worked as mining robots who didn’t have the ability to transform. In discovering the truth of their world and how their leader, Sentinel Prime, secretly manipulated Cybertron for his benefit, D-16 wasn’t thrilled with the secrets he unearthed. As Brian Tyree Henry mentions in the video below, the future Megatron is a character seeking justice. However, it’s a justice that is his own, proving that every villain is the hero of their own story.
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Transformers One Exclusive Video
If there is a Transformers project, it’s a safe bet that there will at least be some variation of Megatron within its story. While there have been major changes to the character over time, such as becoming Galvatron in the original animated movie or transforming into a T-Rex thanks to Transformers: Beast Wars, Megatron’s presence is one that is always looming large in the franchise. It makes sense that Brian Tyree Henry would be excited to step into the Decepticon’s shoes as documented in the video below.
Transformers Bonuses
Alongside the digital release on October 22nd this week, Paramount will release Transformers One on physical 4K Ultra, Blu-Ray, and DVD on December 17th. Here is a massive amount of bonus content that will be made available with the new take on Cybertron:
- In The Beginning — Witness the origin story of OPTIMUS PRIME (ORION PAX) and MEGATRON (D-16) and the evolution of their relationship from brothers-in-arms to sworn enemies. Filmmakers discuss the vision for the film and how it was brought to life.
- World Building On CYBERTRON — Hear from director Josh Cooley, the production design team, and the visual effects team about rendering the colorful world of CYBERTRON in a way that fans have never seen before.
- Together As One — Meet the A-list voice cast for each of the TRANSFORMERS: Chris Hemsworth (ORION PAX/OPTIMUS PRIME), Brian Tyree Henry (D-16/MEGATRON), Scarlett Johansson (ELITA-1), and more!
- The Iacon 5000 — Behold the most epic TRANSFORMERS race ever as competitors vie for the ultimate prize! Go behind the scenes with the filmmakers as they break down this breathtaking action sequence.
- The Battle For CYBERTRON — Cast and filmmakers take you through the film’s epic climax as OPTIMUS PRIME and MEGATRON battle for CYBERTRON’s future.
As of the writing of this article, Transformers One has not been confirmed to receive a sequel, though the prequel certainly sets up a promising future. Thanks to the critical and audience acclaim, this new take on Cybertron is one that is widely considered one of the best Transformers movies of all time.
Want to stay up to date on the animated future of the Transformers? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest updates and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.