Attention! Spoilers ahead for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts director Steven Caple Jr revealed that the touching Bumblebee scene was filmed with an easter egg featuring Hailee Steinfeld’s character, but was ultimately cut from the frame. After the tepid reception of Transformers: The Last Knight in 2017, 2018’s Bumblebee was a soft reboot, bringing the series back to 1987 and introducing Steinfeld’s character Charlie. The new chapter is set in the mid-1990s, introduces new human characters, and has only an indirect reference to Bumblebee’s time with Charlie.
Following the release of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Caple Jr reveals in an interview with THR that there is a deleted scene in the film that could tie the events of Bumblebee even further. The scene would have been touching and would have shown that Bumblebee still holds his former soulmate in high regard. Caple Jr.’s full commentary follows:
“We went even further when Bumblebee showed a picture of him and Hailey’s character. They took a Polaroid selfie together and we filmed this version. We probably have it among the deleted scenes; I’m sure. Bumblebee showed a photo (Prime2) and was still trying to prove his close connection with the man. I like Hailee Steinfeld. I haven’t met her, but the way our film ends, there are always possibilities.”
Bumblebee may be the highest-grossing Transformers movie, but it also received the most critical acclaim, and for good reason. The film is smaller in scope and scale than the other films in the franchise, focusing mainly on the connection between Charlie and an injured Bumblebee. Bumblebee’s focus on a more realistic story with a fully developed human character makes Charlie the most endearing main character in the series, and he certainly deserves to return in a future film.
With Caple Jr in talks to direct Transformers 8 and the director is clearly a fan of the actor, it’s possible that Steinfeld could return. By the end of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Unicron’s survival means the coming war will need every available hand on Earth. Considering that Rise of the Beasts takes place just a few years after Bumblebee, the next movie, barring a significant time jump, could feature an older and more mature Charlie, in line with Steinfeld’s aging from 2018.
Given that Bumblebee still holds his former human companion in high regard, it’s entirely possible that the Autobot will go after Charlie in Transformers 8, especially if he needs his repair skills after taking damage. Also, given the mention of Jo Jo in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, it’s possible that Charlie was hired by the organization as a mechanical consultant. Where the series will go next remains to be seen, but Charlie definitely deserves a comeback.
Source: THR.