Fantasies? No just speculation bud. They announced him being part of filming how long ago and it's taken this long for him to show up. People are going to speculate lol.
They don't choose or announce voice actors at this stage of filming, even if it's a heavy lifter like him.
Well he may not be a voice actor and yes they don't normally announce the voice actors until much later on but they for sure have them already chosen. That's something they have to get sorted semi early so those voice actors don't take work somewhere else. They don't wait till the last minute or until filming is finished to choose voice actors. All these people have to get contracts in order and sign on as soon as they can to get a working budget to approve.
Because he doesn't need to be there. Voice over can be done in a studio on the other side of the world in 2 hours max. Hugo Weaving didn't even meet Bay in person.
For a lot of voice work that would be correct. However what if they're mocapping him or his face, while he's doing his scenes or lines. As the one thing that makes Anthony Hopkins......is who he is in all aspects leaps out at you from the screen. I don't think simple lines would do his role as a cgi character any justice at all. On the flip side, unless he's someone with extreme historical significance within the movie, perhaps Merlin, I can't see what he would bring to the film that anyone else could bring. Why spend that huge wad of money getting him in if he isn't something iconic.....and in a transformers movie where you are a big name but not part of the lead casting....that's generally meaning your a transformer.
