Granted, the box office of Transformers One was quite disappointing, meaning the actual likelihood of a new animated feature film set in the Transformers universe being made is sadly slim to none. Still, it's fascinating to speculate as to where the continuity established by Transformers One could go after the initial civil war for Cybertron. From the many Transformers cartoons that have come and gone over the years to storylines already adapted once by the live action Michael Bay movies, there is an abundance of possible directions the animated movies can develop towards should they ever get the chance to.

8 A Direct Sequel

Transformers One still has plenty of gas left in the tank

By the time Transformers One's ending gives way to the end credits, Orion Pax has officially become Optimus Prime and D-16 has officially become Megatron, forming the factions of Autobots and Decepticons, respectively. Winning control of Iacon City, Optimus mercifully chooses to spare Megatron's life, banishing him and his High Guard to the outskirts of Cybertron. As Megatron ominously warns Optimus that things aren't over, it's very likely that the Decepticons are merely licking their wounds, biding their time to gather strength and lay siege to the city in an act of all-out war.

This in and of itself is a tantalizing premise for a new Transformers movie, with the iconic warring factions now firmly established and Optimus and Megatron's respective journeys essentially completed. Continuing with a sequel still set on Cybertron would give the new continuity more time to establish new important Autobots like Ratchet, Jazz, Wheeljack, and Ironhide while giving more screen time to fan-favorite Decepticons like Starscream, Shockwave, and Soundwave. A second war story that essentially leads up to the brilliant opening Cybertron sequence of Bumblebee would tie the films together nicely.

7 The Dinobots And Devastator

Could make fitting appearances as both sides' earliest allies

Leading up to the second confrontation between Optimus Prime and Megatron, it makes sense for both Autobots and Decepticons to be on the hunt for valuable new allies, particularly once arriving on Earth. On behalf of the Autobots, the Dinobots would be a good place to start. But rather than their Michael Bay movie origin, which saw the prehistoric warriors as a pre-existing Cybertronian diaspora that is forcefully tamed by Optimus, an animated Dinobots film could follow their origin from the 80s cartoon. Here, the Dinobots would be created by Wheeljack as a pet project, taking inspiration from actual dinosaurs.

Meanwhile, the Decepticons could answer their new ferocious foes with some new recruits of their own, the steadfast Constructicons, built from the ground up as Decepticon hollow bodies given life by the Creation Matrix. The Constructicons are notable for their ability to combine into the mighty Devastator, a sight that would be unimaginably impressive in the slick art style of Transformers One's 3-D animation. Just like in the G1 animated series, the Dinobots and Constructicons could duke it out as the latest additions to the Cybertronian war.

6 Unicron Could Cast A Shadow On Earth

Rather than being the Earth itself

As dangerous as Megatron and his Decepticon ideology are, the Transformers universe is full of far more existential threats than any petty political squabble could encom. Enter Unicron, one of the most powerful Transformers ever introduced in the series who appears many times as a recurring villain across various Transformers continuities. A massive Transformer with god-like power, Unicron is like Galactus of Fantastic Four fame, an alien devourer of worlds who is capable of turning into a planet himself. The danger of such a being could force Optimus and Megatron to work together once again.

Unicron has appeared before in the live-action movies twice, in one instance serving as a far-away master served by the main antagonist and another time acting as a hidden secret of the Earth itself. For once, it would be nice to see Unicron actually represented as a speaking, present character with an active role in the story, rather than a distant force of nature that serves as a vague secondary threat as a part of other villain's plans. Even better if his sidekick and literal orbiting moon, Dead End, is alongside him serving as a fateful minion.

5 A Sky Lynx Space Opera

Could further explore the outer reaches of the Transformers cosmos

Having the entirety of Transformers One take place on Cybertron was a great start for the film's new animated continuity, sidestepping the often dreadful and poorly-developed human characters by avoiding Earth entirely. Perhaps the franchise could continue this trend by taking to the stars in a space opera buddy comedy in the guise of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies with the help of one very unique Autobot. After all, there are more planets in the Transformers universe than just Earth and Cybertron, populated with all kinds of life forms neither human nor Cybertronian.

This could be accomplished thanks to the Autobot Sky Lynx, a massive Transformer with an odd quadrupedal robot form who can turn into a massive space shuttle capable of taking on engers. It'd be a delight to see Sky Lynx take off into the furthest reaches of the cosmos, perhaps with a plucky crew of lesser-known Autobot characters, in search of some all-powerful ancient MacGuffin like the All-Spark. This could even be a chance for the Transformers One continuity's Bumblebee to lead his own mission as an Autobot lieutenant, stepping out of Optimus' shadow.

4 A True Beast Wars Movie

To make up for what Rise of the Beasts missed

The most recent live-action Transformers film, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, introduced the concept of Maximals, animal-shifting Cybertronians, for the first time, preferring organic alternate forms based on Earth's nature rather than the typical planes and cars. The Maximals were originally introduced in the Transformers Beast Wars continuity, highly-known and highly-regarded in the fandom for the debut 3-D animated series of the same name. But there are many elements of this core story that Transformers: Rise of the Beasts missed out on that a proper Beast Wars movie could cover.

Namely, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts neglected to include the equivalent of the Decepticons to the Maximals' Autobots, with interesting designs like Waspinator and Scorponok not making the final cut. Considering how integral of an aspect even getting th ability to Transform is in Transformers One, a film exploring the different applications of Transformation Cogs in the animal kingdom would be a treat to see given the same animated movie treatment. Sadly, considering the back-to-back Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and Transformers One, this is very unlikely.

3 A Wreckers Movie

The Autobots' elite task force of commandos

Speaking of more obscure splinter sub-factions of the Autobots, the idea of a film centering around the Wreckers absolutely oozes with potential. The Wreckers appear in many continuities as the Autobots' most elite strike force of special ops commandos, taking on jobs more dangerous and hush-hush than any other Transformer to bear the red sigil. With cool and well-armed characters like gun-lugging Roadbuster, the nervous giant Broadside, or the steadfast leader Springer, the Wreckers have no shortage of lesser-known Transformers to wow audiences with.

The Wreckers actually did show up once before on the silver screen in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, described as gifted engineers and soldiers from Cybertron who aren't let off the secret Autobot base much "because they're a**holes", according to U.S. Director of National Intelligence Charlotte Mearing. This wasn't the best showing of the Wrecker's personalities or capabilities, but it did at least whet the appetite for the idea of a film centered entirely around the Autobots' most deadly squadron. It would be fun to see the Wreckers tackle a mission Optimus might not have the stomach for.

2 Hot Rod And Rodimus Prime

Another coming-of-age movie to continue the theme

While Bumblebee is better known as Optimus Prime's second-in-command and best battle buddy thanks to the G1 cartoon and the Michael Bay films, a whole generation of Transformers fans grew up with another yellow speedster as the series' staple second fiddle. Enter Hot Rod, a hot-headed and impulsive Autobot with a slick sports car alternate mode. After Optimus Prime's controversial death in 1986's Transformers: The Movie, the original wholly-animated Transformers film, Hot Rod assumes his Matrix of Leadership and becomes Rodimus Prime, the new leader of the Autobots.

As Rodimus Prime, Hot Rod struggles to fill the shoes of his predecessor, going from an arrogant, overconfident daredevil to a timid leader unable to trust in his own wisdom. This would be an excellent character arc for a new animated Transformers film to follow after the events of Transformers One. Considering how comedic Keegan Michael-Key's Bumblebee is in this continuity, using Hot Rod as a more genuine second-in-command and successor to Chris Hemsworth's Optimus following a tragic death could make for a deliciously powerful story.

1 A Seafaring Adventure Featuring Tidal Wave

The Transformers have yet to really indulge in the open ocean

Over the years, the many live-action Transformers films have left few stones unturned in of secondary theming. From the fantasy grandeur of Transformers: The Last Knight to the jungle adventures of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and even the 80s buddy-cop fun of Bumblebee, few settings have been left unexplored by pre-existing films. The one glaring exception is the idea of a seafaring Transformers movie, which has yet to be formulated by any movie continuity.

A coastal adventure could give a valuable chance for the Autobots and Decepticons to don seldom-seen aquatic alternate modes, with a valuable artifact such as the All-Spark perhaps falling into the Earth's oceans. The setting would be perfect for obscure, but cool Transformers never-before-seen on the big screen, such as the gargantuan Decepticon Tidal Wave, who turns into an entire battleship, or the shark-like Predacon Sky-Byte. If the Transformers One timeline is to go to Earth, why not explore the 75% of the planet left unaddressed by other Transformers movies?