- Primary Subject: Peter Cullen's final voice performance as Optimus Prime in Optimus Prime: Awakening
- Key Update: The late Peter Cullen's final voice work as Optimus Prime will feature in Optimus Prime: Awakening, an upcoming 12-minute animated short.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: September 2, 2026
- Quick Answer: The upcoming short Optimus Prime: Awakening features late voice actor Peter Cullen's final performance as Optimus Prime, screening after the theatrical Transformers: The Movie re-releases.
An upcoming Transformers animated short film will feature the final voice performance of the late Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime.
Last week, the legendary voice actor passed away at the age of 85. Fans online poured out tributes, praising his iconic work as the fan-favorite Transformers character for decades and his legacy as a voice performer.
Fortunately, fans will be able to see the late voice actor's performance as Optimus Prime one last time.
What Is Peter Cullen's Final Work as Optimus Prime About?
According to Screen Rant, Hasbro and Fathom Entertainment are releasing a new Transformers animated short film titled Optimus Prime: Awakening, which features Peter Cullen's final work as Optimus Prime.
It is a 12-minute short film that is described as "a love letter to the Transformers community and the late Peter Cullen" and "builds on the acclaimed storytelling and visuals of The Transformers: The Movie, giving audiences the rare opportunity to experience the iconic cultural moment from the franchise’s past while exploring its future on the big screen."
The producers stated in the statement that Cullen's final performance as Optimus Prime "reveals a deeper vulnerability while retaining the unmistakable strength and authority that made his portrayal iconic."
It will be shown during the 40th anniversary screenings of The Transformers: The Movie in theaters from September 17 to 22, following the film's credits.
"Optimus Prime and Megatron were made for each other. After all, one needs the perfect hero against the epitome of evil to create great drama. Peter’s portrayal of Prime was born of his own personal beliefs: honesty, loyalty, and always insisting on doing the right thing," Cullen's co-star Frank Welker said in the statement.
"This made it easy to be friends. Returning as Megatron and Soundwave for one final story opposite Peter’s Optimus in Optimus Prime: Awakening was a real gift. I will miss my friend, but that voice and his heart and values will always be part of Optimus Prime."
Peter Cullen's Legendary Work as Optimus Prime
Cullen first voiced Optimus Prime in The Transformers animated series in the 1980s, then he reprised the role in the 1986 animated film (where the character infamously met his demise in the earlier part).
Decades later, he returned to the role in the Transformers live-action film franchise, where he voiced Optimus Prime starting in the 2007 Michael Bay film until 2023 in Rise of the Beasts.
He also voiced Optimus Prime in other Transformers properties, such as the animated series Transformers: Prime and various video game titles.
In a 2006 interview, Cullen revealed that Optimus Prime is his favorite voice role of his career since he based his performance on his brother Larry, who served in the Vietnam War.
"When he came home, I could see a change. He was quieter, and he was a man and a hero to me. I watched him and listened to him. I'd never had an opportunity to do a superhero, and when that came, [that voice] just came right out of me and I sounded like Optimus," he said.
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