"There was an occasion where one line [in Transformers: Age Of Extinction] which Optimus Prime had, I did not want to say. It was my gut instinct and certainly my commitment to the character… not to say the line. But I was told to say. You can’t fight the big boys. I think you all know what that line was."

Transformers: The Last Knight - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Can anyone please tell me what that line was?

 

My guess would be "But when I find out who's behind this, he's going to die."

But I don't think he's ever actually come out and said exactly which line he was speaking of.

 

I doubt it was a line like that, that Cullen didn't want to say. I mean, He said "We'll kill them all!" In DOTM.

 

Maybe its the line where the threatens to kill the Dinobots if they dont aid him

 

Seeing how OP has been getting darker and darker and to his breaking point. I think the line he (Cullen) didn't want to say was the line early on when OP busted out of the barn to protect Cade and his peeps from Cemetery Wind "I'll kill you all!!" In Cullen's mind, I don't think him as the voice of OP minded so much when OP had lines involving "killing them all" DOTM. Or "I'll kill you" AOE to Grimlock as those were just made up characters and robots. But to reference and remark about killing any humans, that might have been a big inner struggle for Cullen.

OP has always been about protecting human life no matter the cost or the continuity.

 

He seems opposed to Optimus using the word "kill", especially if Optimus is the one who's about to do some killing.
One could argue the reasoning is that it's an OOC thing for Optimus to say, but personally, in my eyes, it's NOT out of character for THIS version of Optimus. Sucks that they make Peter say what is written in the scripts without giving him alternatives, though.

 

To Peter Cullen (with all due respect) and other people who oppose Optimus being aggressive, it's called character development. Change in character is what makes him interesting. If you want some stagnant happy go lucky American Dream hero go watch Captain America or old G1 Optimus. No offense to those people it's just the truth.

 

cullen also said in an interview a few years back that he hated that line too, lol.

 

Yea but this time he was saying he was going to kill a human.

When he busted out of the barn? He didn't say that. He said "Here I am!" and "Cade! They're going to kill you!"

 

Yeah you're right. I had to go back and look at it. OP does say I'll kill you (twice) when Cade wakes him up. That's what I was thinking of.

 

Before that I was thinking about Peter Cullen much better Why do you think, that you know, what exactly your character will say? Only directors and screenwriters know it!
Whatever this line was I very appreciate it.
Peter Cullen just got used to voice cartoonish Optimus, who's plain and simple. But the life in Movieverse is much more complicated. Autobots don't getting darker, just people around them become more diverse.
Before AOE they always had Sam and were embedded in NEST and surrounded by some kind hearted humans, but in the beginning of AOE... It's not accidental that you see Ratchet who's crying in desperation "What are you doing humans?!!!" Think what did they live through due to humans! They all were like stymied beasts, can't fight, can't defend, can't fly away from this planet, can't surrender... because they love us. They could only run until the strength isn't over and hide... Hiding day after day, licking wounds, hearing every rustle... Without ANY way to change everything. Just waiting for death... or miracle.
And that miracle was also a human! And they realized that they CAN'T love and save us all, because we're too different! You can defend only your beloved ones and not harm others innocent. That's why the word FAMILY appears in Wulong valley! And if someone want to destroy all your world, you must stop him for the sake of your beloved ones, no matter what! It doesn't matter who is he Decepticon, Creator, human or Sentinel Prime. Remember when Savoy, before fighting with Cade, said that he also has family, and Cade looks to him in terror. But after couple of minutes Cade kills him for the sake of his own family! Would you do the same in this situation? Why are you don't understand Autobots?!
I'm very glad that in AOE Autobots stopped to trust humans TOO much But their sincerity continues to draw honest people, who're often are the same alone as they are

 

I think Peter has a point with those words. Even in his darkest hours, Optimus should have shown a bit more restraint. Did he really need to say "I'll kill you!" while he and Grimlock were slaughtering drones? The Last Knight should have Optimus question his morality over everything he has been through.

 

That thought can also lead to the question of - Are the drones actually living beings? Can they even be "killed" or is it just destroying machines?

 

Of all the "kill"/"die" lines he's said in these films, that one's definitely the least necessary, lol. Even "Give me your face" was better than that.

 

Good point.

 

"I'll kill them all." Seems pretty not-Optimus-y to me. Prime used that word a lot in AOE too.

 

GIVE ME YOUR FACE

 

Its when he says "I'll kill that human."

 

I think it's either "He's going to die." or "Defend my family, or die"

Optimus broke his own rules at that line. Never killed a human, and never enslave. Funny thing is, he said the second line after saying "we're giving you freedom!" Before punching grimlock on the face and then threatened him

 

He mentioned it sounded vengeful which is why he didn't like it.
So it might have been.
"When I find out who's behind this. He's going to die."