This morning, the new trailer for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts revealed that the planet-eating Unicron will appear in the upcoming film - and now we know who will play him. Colman Domingo will voice the iconic Transformers villain.
The official Transformers Twitter account revealed that Domingo will play the cosmic menace in the latest Transformers film, which hits screens on June 6. An ancient entity capable of transforming from a gigantic, world-eating mechanical planet to an equally huge robot, Unicron first menaced the Autobots and Decepticons in their first-ever foray onto the big screen: 1986's Transformers: The Movie, where he was voiced, in one of his last-ever screen roles, by legendary actor and director Orson Welles. Unicron has subsequently featured in a number of Transformers productions, including the Japanese animated series Transformers: Armada, where he was dubbed in English by Canadian voice actor Mark Acheson, and the CG-animated Transformers: Prime, where John Noble (Lord of the Rings, Fringe) provided his voice. Unicron was also featured in a non-speaking role in 2017's Transformers: The Last Knight, which revealed that Unicron was trapped inside the Earth. Although Rise of the Beasts is ostensibly a prequel to The Last Knight, it is unclear if the two appearances will be reconciled.
Colman Domingo's Previous Projects, From Zombie Shows to Animated Features
A veteran screen and stage actor, Domingo's breakout role came in AMC's zombie drama Fear the Walking Dead, where he plays sophisticated conman Victor Strand. A number of prominent film roles followed, including If Beale Street Could Talk, Zola, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and Nia DaCosta's remake of Candyman. He also guest-starred on HBO's controversial teen addiction drama Euphoria, earning him an Emmy. Domingo has a slew of projects in production, including Blitz Bazawule's musical remake of The Color Purple, Ethan Coen's solo directorial debut Drive-Away Dolls, and Rustin, where Domingo will play the title role of gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. He will also be heard in the upcoming DreamWorks animated feature, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken.
RELATED: New 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' Trailer Packs Heat as Autobots and Maximals Clash
Who Else Is in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts?
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is directed by Steven Caple Jr., and will star Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, and Tobe Nwigwe. Domingo joins a star-studded voice cast that already includes Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime), Ron Perlman (Optimus Primal), Peter Dinklage (Scourge), Michelle Yeoh (Airazor), Pete Davidson (Mirage), Liza Koshy (Arcee), Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (Nightbird), Tongayi Chirisa (Cheetor), Cristo Fernández (Wheeljack), John DiMaggio (Stratosphere and Transit), and David Sobolov (Rhinox and Battletrap).
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts hits theaters on June 6, 2023. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
