‘Bumblebee’ Has a Clear Ending While Also Setting Up a Potential Sequel

Bumblebee, the newest movie in the Transformers franchise, comes to theaters this weekend with the promise of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and the rest of the Autobots protecting the earth against the villainous Decepticons. But beyond wondering if we will finally get to see a Transformers movie with a coherent plot, you may find yourself asking a key question: Are more Transformers movies coming? It’s a fair question. After all, in this current era of blockbusters, nearly every big-budget action movie sets itself up for a sequel. Does Bumblebee follow this trend or buck the trend by telling a story that serves as a standalone experience? We have the answer.

WARNING: Obviously, there are some major plot spoilers coming your way so please abandon ship if you want to walk into the film completely blind.

At the end of Bumblebee, the titular Transformer has managed to fight off Shatter and Dropkick, the two Decepticons who are hunting him down in an attempt to wipe out the Transformers, and makes the difficult decision to part ways with Charlie Watson, his teen girl companion, for her own safety. After transforming into a badass Chevy Camaro, Bumblebee drives off into the sunset next to a Red Freightliner to establish a Transformers base on earth while Charlie heads back home to her family. And they all lived happily ever after…

Except, that’s not really how it ends. It turns out that the Red Freightliner next to Bumblebee was actually Optimus Prime, who had been gone the entire movie. Prime and Bumblebee are shown walking in the forest with Prime letting his pal know that while he had done good work establishing earth as a base but that the battle with the Decepticons was far from over. The two then look to the sky and see that a group of Transformers (who look like asteroids) are heading to earth to officially begin establishing earth’s Transformers base.

While the ending clearly sets up a sequel, Bumblebee deserves credit for having a clean resolution that doesn’t make the entire movie feel like one giant cliffhanger. There is obviously space for a franchise but if this turned out to be the end of the Transformers, Bumblebee works as a solid final note for the robots in disguise. Fortunately, it looks like Bumblebee will not be the end of the Transformers, as the movie is currently enjoying strong reviews from critics, with many calling it the best film in the franchise.