Bumblebee

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Bumblebee's history spans decades of shifting identities and vehicles. In the 1980s cartoon, he appeared in the first episode alongside Wheeljack as one of the first Transformers on screen. He formed a best friendship with human Spike Witwicky after chasing Decepticons to Earth. A significant turning point occurred in the show's third season when he received an upgraded body and took the name Goldbug. When the franchise rebooted for Beast Wars, Hasbro had lost the rights to his name, preventing his inclusion. By the 2000s, these rights were reacquired, allowing him to return as a main character in the 2007 live-action film. Here, he transformed into a Chevrolet Camaro instead of a VW Beetle and communicated exclusively via car radio rather than speaking. This film version established his mainstream fame, leading to major roles in sequels where he appeared as multiple models: a 1977 second generation, a 2006 fifth generation, and 2016 and 2018 sixth generation Camaros.

In Their Own Story

In the 2018 film Bumblebee, which serves as a reboot of the film series, the character's timeline was retconned to show him arriving on Earth in 1987. This specific date established that his brief appearance as a WWII-era military vehicle in Transformers: The Last Knight did not occur in this continuity. In the 2018 movie, Bumblebee more closely resembles his original cartoon depiction and once again transforms into a Volkswagen Beetle. He later returns in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts within this same rebooted universe. His portrayal has influenced other series; Transformers: Prime features a non-speaking version inspired by the films, while Transformers One director Josh Cooley chose to make Bumblebee talkative like the original cartoon. This decision led to Keegan-Michael Key being cast and directed to speak in his normal voice for the role.

Reader's Guide

Bumblebee's design varies significantly depending on the continuity, ranging from a small yellow Volkswagen Beetle in the original line of toys and animated series to various Chevrolet Camaro models in live-action films. In Transformers: Animated and Prime, creators took influence from the film versions, with Prime specifically depicting him as unable to speak. Conversely, series like Cyberverse, War for Cybertron Trilogy, and EarthSpark draw more inspiration from his 1980s cartoon appearance where he was voiced by Dan Gilvezan in English and Yoku Shioya in Japanese. Fans can identify different eras of the character by these transformations: the classic scout role defined by the Beetle, or the action-hero Camaro era marked by radio communication. The 1977 Camaro used in the 2007 film was sold for over $40,000 on eBay, while a set of other Camaros from the production sold for approximately $500,000 with proceeds donated to Operation Homefront.

Did You Know?

• Bumblebee's name was created by Bob Budiansky specifically for the Marvel Comics series.
• In the original cartoon, Bumblebee received an upgraded body in the third season and changed his name to Goldbug.
• Hasbro lost the rights to the name 'Bumblebee' during the Beast Wars era, preventing him from appearing in that show.
• The 1977 Chevrolet Camaro used in the 2007 film sold on eBay for over $40,000.
• In Transformers One, director Josh Cooley instructed voice actor Keegan-Michael Key to speak in his normal voice rather than a robotic tone.