The Official Transformers Movie Facebook Page and Collider have teamed up to announce that Ron Perlman has been officially cast in the role of Optimus Primal for the upcoming live action film Rise of the Beasts. No doubt, fans of the original Beast Wars series will be disappointed that actor Garry Chalk is not reprising the role however Perlman is no stranger to the Transformers franchise. Perlman played a version of Optimus Primal in 2018's Power of the Primes cartoon. It will be interesting to see how this portrayal will differ from that one (if at all).
Perlman is no stranger to the science fiction/fantasy genre. He is well known for live action roles such as Hellboy and Vincent in Beauty and the Beast. He also has many voice acting credits including shows such as Justice League and Teen Titans.
Returning to the action and spectacle that first captured moviegoers around the world 14 years ago with the original Transformers, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on a ‘90s globetrotting adventure and introduce the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons to the existing battle on earth between Autobots and Decepticons. Directed by Steven Caple Jr. and starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, the film arrives in theatres June 24, 2022.