The Transformers franchise continues with Optimus Prime and Megatron's origins. Transformers One takes place on Cybertron (the home planet of the Transformers) and dives deeper into the Transformers race's history. So, it makes sense that the animated feature will be set many years ago.

Transformers timeline that the live-action movies have only scratched the surface of to fully establish Optimus Prime and Megatron's younger adventures.

Transformers One Takes Place 300 Million Years Before The Live-Action Movies

It's The Origins Of Cybertron

It is confirmed that Transformers One takes place 300 million years before Paramount's live-action Transformers movies. The confirmation comes from franchise producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who said, "It obviously exists beforehand," when asked about its relation to Michael Bay's movies. Bonaventura explained that the animated film is set "like 300 million years before the first Michael Bay movie." However, they do not think of the film as a prequel to those movies, nor are they particular about Transformers One's timeline connections; instead, they think of it as the beginning of a new story.

Michael Bay's first Transformers movie takes place in 2007

Transformers One is not overly concerned with its timeline placement from a story perspective. It's established that the movie takes place roughly 50 years after the Elder Primes died, indicating that Cybertron and the entire Transformer race are still in their infancy after being created by Primus. But, the 300 million years before the placement of the live-action movies in the timeline is still noteworthy. It shows just how early on in the lore this story takes place, which helps separate Transformers One from what came before.

Transformers One's Timeline Placement Is A Retcon

It Was Previously Said To Be 3 Billion Years Before

The confirmation of Transformers One's timeline placement is noteworthy because it is a retcon to a previous statement about the subject. While attending Transformers One's at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Screen Rant learned the animated movie will be set around 3 billion years before the live-action Transformers films' timeline. Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura disclosed the fact while speaking to the audience. Di Bonaventura, who has worked on every Transformers live-action project since 2007, said, "[Transformers One takes place] 3 billion years before what we've done before."

Now, di Bonaventura has changed course to shorten the gap between Transformers One and the live-action movies. 3 billion years before versus 300 million years before does not alter too much when it comes to potential connections, but it does narrow the window of time between the seemingly separate stories and franchises just in case Paramount decides to merge them somehow. It's unclear if the switch was purposeful for that reason or if di Bonaventura simply misspoke previously. Either way, Transformers One does not take place 3 billion years before the live-action movies as previously stated.

Transformers One Is Not Part Of The Same Timeline As Previous Transformers Movies

The 2024 Film's Story Isn't Directly Connected To Previous Transformers Films

Yes, Transformers One predates every Transformers movie. However, Paramount Pictures is not labeling it as a prequel, nor is there any explicit correlation between the 2024 film and the previous ones. The animated science fiction action project is a standalone movie that cannot be directly placed on the live-action timeline as it takes place in a separate universe by all s. This means Transformers One won't follow the established canon in the Transformers franchise and is free to make changes to the lore compared to what the live-action films established.

This is a smart move for the animated movie considering how complicated and convoluted the Transformers movie timeline has become over the years. Michael Bay's five movies exist within a single continuity, but Bumblebee rebooted the universe through its prequel setting. And with Bumblebee even showing the War for Cybertron seemingly taking place in the 1980s, it would not make sense for 300 million years to before Optimus Prime and Megatron's story could reach this point. There is now a clean break for the Transformers timeline when it comes to Transformers One's universe.

What Transformers One's Timeline Setting Means For The Franchise's Future

Transformers Has Freedom

By setting Transformers One 300 million years in the past, the franchise's future has nearly unprecedented levels of freedom. Sequels to the animated movie can continue exploring the early days of Cybertron, Optimus Prime's rise to power with the Autobots, and Megatron's formation of the Decepticons. This can all be done without any concerns about what is happening on Earth or with humanity, allowing the franchise to keep the focus on the Transformers and the inner conflict between the two sides.

This could even mean Transformers One's timeline will put its own spin on major events that transpired much later on in the live-action movies. Encountering the Maximals, fighting Unicron, a war with Quintessa, and more could all come throughout millions of years without coming close to touching a modern setting. That puts the franchise in a great spot creatively to go in any direction it wants as the future takes shape after Transformers One.