Easter Eggs And References You Missed In Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts

Contains spoilers for "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts"

The newest entry in the "Transformers" franchise, "Rise of the Beasts," has finally arrived, introducing fans to a whole new faction. The film is inspired by the beloved "Beast Wars" storyline and sees Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) and the Autobots team up with new humans and an ancient Transformers group known as the Maximals, who transform into mechanized animals rather than vehicles. Led by the fearsome Optimus Primal (voiced by Ron Perlman), the Maximals have been tasked with protecting an ancient artifact so that it doesn't fall into the hands of the destructive Unicron (Colman Domingo) and his lead mercenary Scourge (Peter Dinklage). With the help of the Maximals, the Autobots are forced into a fight to defeat Scourge and protect Earth from Unicron's wrath.

For fans of the franchise, seeing the Maximals on the big screen is undoubtedly a big treat, with plenty of great set pieces that show their immense power. The entire finale is a brutal fight for survival, leading to a shocking conclusion. However, the biggest gift for fans throughout "Rise of the Beasts" is all the little Easter eggs and references that can be spotted. From hints at a crossover with another legendary franchise to nods to other Transformers factions, let's delve right into the best Easter eggs in "Rise of the Beasts."

"Rise of the Beasts" isn't the first time that fans have seen Arcee (voiced by Liza Koshy) on the big screen. She made her live-action debut back in "Revenge of the Fallen" and had a brief cameo in "Bumblebee" during the opening war sequence on Cybertron. However, her appearances have been incredibly brief and — in the case of "Revenge of the Fallen" — have largely failed to capture the character's iconic look. It's fair to say that one of "Transformers'" most iconic female Autobots hasn't exactly been treated with the respect she deserves. "Rise of the Beasts" changes that by not only giving her more screen time, but also restoring the character to a more classic look.

Arcee's redesign in "Rise of the Beasts" is heavily inspired by her look in the 2007 animated series "Transformers: Animated." Although she trades out bright pink for a reddish shade, she has a sleek aesthetic that makes her a terror in battle. Her look back in "Revenge of the Fallen" was just plain atrocious, so it's nice that "Rise of the Beasts" pays homage to the character's legacy by restoring her to her superior form.

For those who don't remember, there was a prequel to "Rise of the Beasts" that focused on Bumblebee, where he teamed up with a human protagonist named Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld). The film set up the Autobots being stranded on Earth while war continued on Cybertron. Although "Rise of the Beasts" isn't technically a direct sequel, it still takes time to acknowledge the events of the previous film. When Optimus shows some frustration at having to work with Noah (Anthony Ramos), Bumblebee openly disagrees with his view. Optimus then acknowledges that he understands that Bumblebee has "worked with humans before," but that it doesn't change how he feels. 

It's a moment that directly references how Bumblebee worked with Charlie to protect Earth. As Bumblebee learned in his titular solo film, Optimus follows suit in his understanding of how important humanity can be in "Rise of the Beasts," eventually developing a real connection that makes him a protector of Earth. Given that "Bumblebee" doesn't directly tie into what's happening in "Rise of the Beasts," the latter film didn't need to reference it for audiences to follow the thread of the plot — but thankfully it does, and "Bumblebee" fans can feel acknowledged. 

When the group arrives in Peru, they run into their old friend Wheeljack (voiced by Cristo Fernandez) — who Noah believes is Spanish due to his voice. He thinks that he might've picked up a Spanish accent while hiding in Peru, and Wheeljack cleverly turns the tables on Noah by making it seem like Noah has preconceived notions about him because of the way he speaks. This causes Noah to wonder if he's being racist, or if it's even possible to be racist to a robot. On its own, it's a funny interaction that lets audiences have a light-hearted moment with Wheeljack. However, given this franchise's controversial past, it's hard not to wonder if this is a cheeky reference. 

After all, it's no secret that "Revenge of the Fallen" was heavily criticized for how Skids and Mudflaps were seen as discriminatory depictions of Black stereotypes, so this moment with Wheeljack is likely the film's way of touching on the franchise's negative past. Sometimes the best way to move forward from a bad choice is to own it, and that seems to be what "Rise of the Beasts" does here. 

Unlike most Transformers, Mirage has a lot of powers at his disposal. He has the ability to create holograms of himself to distract enemies, and can even give Noah his armor to form an exo-suit that helps him fight in battle. However, one of Mirage's more underrated capabilities is that he can transform into multiple types of vehicles. From a sleek Porsche that can speed through the streets to a garbage truck that can help in stealth missions, Mirage is basically a Swiss army knife.

One vehicle he transforms into is a nod to his original incarnation. While showing Noah the different cars he can transform into, Mirage turns into a small Indy car, which is what he has historically been most identified with in the multiple different "Transformers" incarnations. It's a shame that we don't get to see Mirage's Indy car in action, but it's still a nice callback, nevertheless.

As the big final battle rages on, Unicron decides to send in more reinforcements in an effort to turn the tide — which end up being these scorpion-looking robots that can do some serious damage. Not only are they gigantic and vicious, but their pincers and stinger can be deadly. While some might see these henchmen as nothing more than cronies who just happen to fit the animal theme, fans will likely recognize these scorpion henchmen as Scorponok. Scorponoks are often seen as symbiote connections to larger Transformers who send them out to unleash absolute chaos onto enemies. 

Unicron isn't the first to use Scorponoks in battle either, as fans might remember that Blackout used a Scorponok as well during the first "Transformers" film. Blackout's was much larger than the ones seen in "Rise of the Beasts" and stood a much better chance in battle than they do here, but it's still fun to see Scorponoks continue to be a terror on the battlefield. 

One of the biggest surprises of "Rise of the Beasts" was undoubtedly the reveal in the film's final moments. As Noah continues to look for security work following his adventure with the Autobots, he comes across a man named Agent Burke (Michael Kelly) who cryptically indicates that he knows everything that's been going on. He knows all about Noah's time with the Autobots and wants him to join his secret team. In this scene, it's tough to figure out who Burke is or what organization he works for. Then, as Noah looks into the secret lab behind the wall and flips over the card, we get the surprising reveal that Burke is part of "G.I. Joe."

Now, it's not totally out of the realm of possibility for these two franchises to have an epic crossover, especially since it's happened before. "G.I. Joe" and "Transformers" have crossed paths multiple times in the comics and they're both toy brands under Hasbro. Plus, Paramount has produced films for both franchises. The "G.I. Joe" films haven't found the same success that "Transformers" has at the box office, so maybe Paramount thinks a crossover could benefit both franchises. Regardless, it's still an epic Easter egg that teases a potentially amazing mashup.