Prepare For “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” by Watching the Whole Franchise in Order

After five long years, the Transformers franchise is finally heading back to theaters with the release of “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” this summer. The new movie, which will mark the seventh film in the franchise, is set to star Anthony Ramos (“In the Heights“) as an electronics expert and Dominique Fishback (“Swarm“) as an artifact researcher who both get unexpectedly thrust into “a ’90s globetrotting adventure” with the Autobots and Decepticons.

“Rise of the Beasts” will introduce not only a new set of human characters but new Transformers factions as well, known as the Maximals, the Predacons, and the Terrorcons. These aliens can turn into robotic animals, and while we’ve seen these types of Transformers in the ’90s “Beast Wars” cartoon, we’re just now getting to witness them in live-action form. “There are different breeds of Transformers,” director Steven Caple Jr. told The Hollywood Reporter. “In our particular film, they are prehistoric animals who travel through time and space, and we find them here on Earth.”

According to People, these new Transformers will be voiced by major stars like Ron Perlman, Pete Davidson, and Michelle Yeoh.

Since it’s been 15 years since the first Transformers movie premiered in 2007, here’s a recap of the other films to help you prepare for “Rise of the Beasts,” which will hit theaters on June 9.

How Many Transformers Movies Are There?

1. “Transformers” (2007)
2. “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (2009)
3. “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (2011)
4. “Transformers: Age of Extinction” (2014)
5. “Transformers: The Last Knight” (2017)
6. “Bumblebee” (2018)
7. “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” (2023)

Transformers Movies in Order

1. “Transformers”

When their homeworld, Cybertron, is destroyed due to a civil war with the Decepticons, the Autobots head to Earth in search of the AllSpark, which is the source of all Cybertronian life, in hopes of using it to restore their planet before the Decepticons can use it for evil. They find out the coordinates of the AllSpark’s location were imprinted on Archibald Witwicky’s glasses, which are now in the hands of his great-great-grandson Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). He’s an average high-school student who gets wrapped up in the Transformers’ civil war when he purchases his first car – a 1976 Chevrolet Camaro – that is secretly the Autobot Bumblee in disguise.

2. “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

Sam is now a college student who’s trying to live a normal life. However, when he begins to see Cybertronian symbols everywhere he goes, he’s thrown into action once again when he becomes targeted by the Decepticons, who think the symbols in Sam’s mind will lead them to an Energon-producing Star Harvester that will help them raise an army.

3. “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”

After graduating college and moving in with his new girlfriend, Carly Spencer (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley), Sam gets caught up in another battle between the Transformers when the Decepticons rage war against the Autobots once again. This time, Optimus Prime plans to revive the Autobots’ old leader, Sentinel Prime, to help them win. However, chaos ensues when he betrays the Autobots.

4. “Transformers: Age of Extinction”

The events of “Dark of the Moon” have led humanity to believe that all Transformers are a threat, so they create a task force to hunt them all down. They partner up with a Cybertronian bounty hunter named Lockdown (who’s working for an alien race known as the Creators) in order to take down Optimus Prime, who goes into hiding with the rest of his team as a result. He’s later discovered by an inventor named Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg) and his daughter Tessa (Nicola Peltz Beckham), who help the Autobots in their fight against Lockdown.

5. “Transformers: The Last Knight”

Since humans continue to hunt down Transformers, Cade goes into hiding after taking in several Transformer refugees. However, when he meets a dying Transformer who gives him a mysterious Talisman, he becomes targeted by Decepticons and the US government, who plan on using the Talisman to locate Merlin’s staff, which is an ancient Transformer weapon.

6. “Bumblebee”

“Bumblebee,” which acts as a prequel to the Transformers films, begins with the Autobots trying to evacuate Cybertron. However, when they’re stopped by the Decepticons, Optimus Prime sends Bumblebee to Earth to scout the planet in hopes of making it their new base of operations. Things go wrong when Bumblebee is attacked by the Decepticon Blitzwig, who breaks his voice box and erases his memories. After defeating Blitzwig, Bumblebee meets a teenage girl named Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), who helps him regain his memories and defend Earth from the Decepticons.

7. “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts”

“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” will introduce three new groups of Transformers called the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons, who join the war between the Autobots and Decepticons on Earth. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film was inspired by “Beast Wars,” which was a Transformers cartoon during the ’90s.