Transformers fans divided over Chris Hemsworth’s Optimus Prime voice as first trailer drops
It's been quite the thrilling Thursday for fans of a certain sci-fi franchise, as the first trailer for Transformers One dropped earlier this afternoon (18 April).
The newest addition to the Cybertron club has left live action behind in favour of creating the first-ever fully CG-animated movie in the fold, so the star-studded cast are relying on their vocals rather than their muscles for this flick.
Due to this, those lending their vocal chords to Transformers One are under a lot of pressure to make sure that their mouthpiece is making a good impression on viewers.
Unfortunately for Chris Hemsworth, he's got an even larger weight on his shoulders as he's taking on everyone's favourite byproduct of biological evolution and technological engineering - the one and only, Optimus Prime.
Advert
And a lot of Transformers fans haven't held back when discussing what they think of his attempt at trying to fill the shoes of legendary voice actor Peter Cullen.
Take a look for yourself here:
Let's get the refreshed plot line out of the way first - basically, Transformers One revisits the untold origin story of how Optimus Prime (Hemsworth) and Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry) went from brothers-in-arms to sworn enemies.
Set on the planet Cybertron, the highly-anticipated addition to the beloved franchise delves into how the pals went on to lead rival factions before the Autobots and Decepticons later come to blows.
Hemsworth and Henry both appear at the start of the Transformers One trailer, saying they 'can't wait' for fans to see it.
The two lead actors have incredible chemistry in their 20-second cameo, which brilliantly translates to their roles in the film where they star as - what were originally - best friends.
But despite this cute moment between the pair and all the action that unfolds in the trailer, a lot of fans were more preoccupied with how Hemsworth sounded as Optimus Prime.
Fans began discussing their thoughts on the Australian actor's attempt at replicating the tone of the Autobots leader in the comment section of Paramount Picture's YouTube page, where it was published.
One joked: "Optimus Prime nailed that Chris Hemsworth impression."
Another said: "He’s not Cullen, that’s for sure."
A third laughed: "Peter Cullen, a battle hardened Optimus Prime who never gave up. Chris Hemsworth, an Optimus Prime before his ball-bearings dropped."
But others leapt to Hemsworth's defence, explaining that the Thor star is voicing a much-younger version of the character so his tone made sense.
A fan wrote: "For anyone complaining about Chris Hemsworth's voice as Orion Pax, in an episode of Generation One, it was shown that Orion originally sounded nothing like Optimus Prime to the point that several time-traveling Autobots couldn't recognize him, so Chris' voice does fit.
A second chimed in: "I actually don’t hate Chris Hemsworth as Optimus Prime, he actually sounds like a younger Peter Cullen."
While a third weighed in saying: "I believe that Chris Hemsworth is slowly trying to sound like Peter Cullens' version of Optimus Prime throughout the movie...it makes more sense."
Well the great news is, you can make your own mind up while getting to watch the likes of Hemsworth, Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm do their thing.
Transformers One is set to hit the cinemas later this year and will be released on September 20, 2024.
Topics: Chris Hemsworth, Celebrity, Film, TV and Film, YouTube
Olivia Burke