So... this question came about after a discussion with my son.

Now he's 11 and he hasn't read any of the MTMTE comics but I've told him how Megatron turned Autobot and through this they've given him IMHO (which I believe is shared by a few others) some of the best character development he's ever gotten. I'm wondering if he returns in RID season 3 if they may take a similar approach.

Well my son has observed, as we all have, that after the first film Megatron seemed pretty much unnecessary. So he suggested they do something like the comics. Make him switch sides... and I was thinking... not necessarily a bad idea. Maybe not full on start wearing the Autobot badge but perhaps an alliance with the Autobots against a greater evil (perhaps Unicron... along the lines of what TFP did).

Now granted I don't think anyone would try to argue that the films have given us deep character development. And there are fx budget limitations to consider. But, it got me thinking. Since they say they have an actual plan in place now, it would be doable.

As I told my son, people love a redemption story. And the thing about it if the villain switches sides, he can "win".

Not sure if general audiences would accept it though. Would depend on how it was handled I think. And that would depend on just how good this new writing team is. Well, hell, a lot of things depend on that writing team.

 

I guess it's possible but i think these movies prefer their villains to be the mindless cackling evil for evil sake sort.

 

I think if they were going to try the redemption storyline they should have really done so with Dark Of The Moon - he did a lot of evil things but could have been justified partially due to him trying to save Cybertron.

If Optimus finally realises that he destroyed Cybertron when he ends up presumably heading back there during the time span between TF;AOE and TF;TLK then perhaps he'll realise that Megatron's actions were somewhat justified and they'll bring up this plot thread again... though honestly i doubt it.

Galvatron was brought in as basically being pure 'evil' having no 'spark' or 'soul'. Megatron in 'The Last Knight' appears to be resembling a devil-like being with design aspects mirroring his Transformers Prime appearance (who granted did get redemption, but only through them working together against Unicron) Perhaps if 'The Last Knight' is referring to Megatron instead of Optimus then we could see him change his mind upon discovering the existence of a powerful 'creator' who wants to destroy them all... maybe sacrificing himself or fighting alongside Optimus?

Either way I'd like to see this scene replicated even if we don't get a full redemption of him as a character;

Imagine in Transformers; The Last Knight, they end up battling together against a swarm of evil Transformers that end up being the dragon from the poster.

 

I loved that scene in Transformers Prime.

Another possibility I think that I heard in a YouTube video either by TheRaginNation or DingoCrikey was the idea that in TFTLK Optimus may become Nemesis Prime at the end (I know others have suggested this as well) and Megatron and the Autobots may have to form an alliance to stop him. Which could also be interesting.

Honestly within Transformers some of my favorite stories since I was a kid have revolved around A. Time Travel or B. Megatron and Optimus having to work together.

 

They tried that in DOTM, then just threw it out the window at the last second and replaced it with him just suddenly getting killed in an unspectacular way. I don't know if it'd work so well now. In DOTM, his body was falling apart, and he was clearly tired of the war. Now that his mind's in a new body, it seems to have renewed his spirit. I guess he's still fighting for the same reasons, and he could come to the same conclusion he did in the DOTM adaptations, that the war was killing Cybertron, so it's better to just have a truce, and search for a way to heal it that won't destroy Earth. However, if Optimus truly is trying to save Cybertron himself in TLK, Megatron will either need to change sides in this very film, or show he's truly too petty to let humanity live, no matter what.

 

I'm totally with you there, there was always something very attractive to me about Prime and Megs teaming up, and I was always disappointed that those moments never lasted long. Even when Galvatron declared that "there'd be no war today!" it brought a little lump to throat!  

I think this is why, 20+ years later, that the DOTM ending still feels like a massive kick in the teeth.

Redemption is a very important message, it would be nice to see how Megatron was once a rebellious freedom fighter, who got corrupted, and whose purpose got convoluted, and as his existence got more violent and conflicted he didn't know how to turn back the clock and finally forgot he was ever any different. The Decepticons should have many wild and murderous bots in their ranks, it's the side they'd flock to, but megs shouldn't be or shouldn't always have been one of them, and they should explain why.

That's a prequel movie i'd kill to see (assuming i could get redemption after!)

 

I'm going to go against the grain and say that I don't want a redeemed Megatron arc, for any Megatron in general, but this Megatron specifically. He's already proven that dying won't change his mind - twice, no less. There is nothing that could conceivably get him to change. He's too hateful, too vindictive, wrapped up in his old grudges even past the point where it would matter. Age of Extinction proved this beyond a shadow of a doubt. With Cybertron destroyed, his grand plans for restoring the empre - that he destroyed - are over. What does he do upon resurrection? Try to kill more humans and establish a new kingdom. He's beyond saving, because he doesn't want to be saved. He's like Lucifer - his pride won't ever allow him to admit that he was wrong, so he continues down the path that he set so long ago.

 

I have a feeling Megatron and Prime were once in an alliance as part of the Knights of Cybertron. If that's the case, there's a chance Megatron will get a redemption in a sense that he'll be willing to work with Prime once more.

 

But who's to say Lucifer is irredeemable? There hasn't been much added to that canon in recent years!  

 

I think it depends on how he responds to the plans of the Creators and any other villains who might not be Deceptcions or even Cybertronian.

 

I think it's too late for redemption at this point. Like Scorpio said, Dark of the Moon would have been the time for that.

However I do think they could do an alliance type thing down the road where Megatron and the Autobots are forced to work together and there's some scenes where the Autobots are whispering among themselves about how they think Megatron is going to turn on them.

 

I think it might be a little too much right now with the redemption arch seeming to be Prime's thing right now. Last movie Prime had to redeem his faith in humanity and now the rumors going around seem to indicate that Prime will be going back to the idea of hero of two worlds instead of saying the heck with Cybertron. Tossing in Megatron finding redemption might be too much redemption.

It might be nicer to have Megatron go to being all the villain he can be. Not all villains need to be redeemed sometimes they can be a better force for story telling when the villain is just evil to it's core.

 

Nope.

 

It just doesn't work for this continuity.

Only IDW and Armada did it ever work, maybe in TFA it could have but otherwise nah.

 

Honestly I'm not expecting anything more than a temporary truce--and even THAT would surprise me.

 

I'd like the opposite.

I'd like something to drive him crazy, I'd like something to make him more than a nationalistic warmonger. I want him to get worse.

The Beast Machines vibe with his new helmet just has me itching for this Megatron to take a turn for the twisted.

Sue me.

 

I'd kinda like that too, I guess Megs is the sort of character that can go either way there.

Becoming Galvatron should show a more obviously demented Megatron, and then you could even then still justify a redemption arc if he reverted back to megatron and regained his sanity.

 

When they're done right, then absolutely. Look at Beast Era Megatron. Look at Overlord. Look at TDK Joker. Each one's a monster in his own unique way, and the story each one was part of would be lesser for them not being such.

 

never say never but dotm was his chance at a redemption arc

 

Maybe not necessarily a true redemption arc where he becomes an Autobot, but maybe something more along the lines of characterization that allows for an interpretation of his character as more neutral than evil. Like TLK could explore how him and Optimus both want the same thing.

The way I imagine this happening would be that when Megatron upgrades into his new TLK body, he gets a new lease on life that causes him to decide that restoring Cybertron is the most important thing of all. This "new" Megatron wouldn't worry so much about battling the Autobots (although he still would, it just wouldn't be his main concern) and would spend more time trying to restore Cybertron. In addition, he would be more tactical and wouldn't just kill and destroy indiscriminately. For example, if he defeated an Autobot, he wouldn't kill them and would instead manipulate them into helping him restore Cybertron somehow.

However, none of this seems very likely to occur in TLK. Espescially given Megatron's new barbarian-esque design. In fact it seems more likely that he'll probably go the opposite route with his new body.