Like how Star Wars has its own unique way of handling the timeline, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts also does the same.

As a seventh installment in the cinematic universe, it's actually not the latest story to be told. In fact, it takes a step back on the timeline.

This 2023 blockbuster serves as a prequel to the original Transformers movies. Here's a quick lowdown:

Rise of the Beasts in the Transformers Timelines

Rise of the Beasts takes place in 1994 and revolves around the havoc caused by the Terrorcons on Earth. These malevolent beings are in pursuit of a powerful artifact known as the Transwarp Key. It's during these events that new characters Noah Diaz and Elena Wallace come into the picture.

But here's the twist – even though it's set in '94, ‘Rise of the Beasts' isn't the earliest story in the Transformers timeline. That honor goes to ‘Bumblebee,' which unfolded back in 1987. It's like the grand kickoff of the Transformers movie saga and our first peek into Bumblebee's epic journey alongside humans.

Instead, Rise of the Beasts is a prequel to the original Transformers movies directed by Michael Bay. These movies started with the 2007 film. The first movie of this cinematic universe portrayed the ongoing war between the Autobots and Decepticons, the hunt for the AllSpark, and the involvement of humans in the conflict.

Despite this seeming connection, Screen Rant reveals that ‘Bumblebee' and ‘Rise of the Beasts' seem to exist in a timeline separate from Michael Bay's Transformers films. The evidence points out a couple of inconsistencies and the time-travel element introduced by the Transwarp Key.

Speculation on Maximals

Now, in ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,' the question on fans' minds is how long the Maximals have been on Earth. The film starts with Unicron attacking the Maximals' home planet, forcing them to flee to Earth using the Transwarp Key. However, the movie doesn't specify their arrival time.

Based on context clues, it appears the Maximals, an advanced Transformers race, have been on Earth for thousands of years before the events of this film. Some even speculate they might be from the future, using the Transwarp Key for time travel to prehistoric Earth.

While the movie doesn't confirm this, it leaves room for a future sequel to delve into the Maximals' origins.