As opposed to most of the other Transformers films helmed by Michael Bay, 2018’s initial prequel-turned-reboot Bumblebee not only felt much more respectful of its source material but also much more cohesive as a film. Director Travis Knight’s love for the franchise was on full display, making for a film that’s fun, heartwarming, and character-focused, but also doesn’t shy away from including some truly memorable action set pieces. Another aspect of the film that stands out is its 1980’s period setting and organically feels like a movie that could have been made during that time period. While other films made in recent years yet set much earlier have failed to authentically capture the exact feel of their time period, Bumblebee does so flawlessly.
Which begs the question: what if this film had been made in the 1980s? Technical aspects aside, it’s certainly fun to wonder just who could star in an ’80’s version of this quintessentially ’80’s movie. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up a number of familiar faces that would have been perfect choices to star in Bumblebee years back.
Harold Ramis as Ron
Ron is certainly an odd character that tries too hard to be cool, but at his heart, he’s a guy that has the best intentions in terms of being a stepfather to Charlie and her brother Otis, as well as a loving and caring partner to their mother Sally. The late Harold Ramis was no stranger to playing characters who were a little on the kooky side like Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters, but could also slip into roles of great warmth and personality like Dr. Martin Bettes in As Good as It Gets. Had he combined both character traits, he would have delivered in the role of Ron and made him as memorable as Stephen Schneider did.
Jeff Cohen as Otis Watson
Cohen became a pop culture icon in 1985’s The Goonies, as his character Lawrence “Chunk” Cohen stole scenes and hearts with his clumsy yet endearing antics. Cohen didn’t do much acting work after the film, though he would have been a great choice to play Charlie’s younger brother Otis. Jason Drucker played Otis mush snarkier than a character like Chunk would be, but he and Cohen share a similarly enthusiastic and excitable attitude, and it would have been cool to see Cohen bring his own take to Otis’s best moments, especially during the climactic car chase scene that ends with him vomiting in his mom’s car.
Goldie Hawn as Sally Watson
Hawn has always been one of the most reliable comedic actresses out there, being able to come across as relatable and charming no matter how outlandish the role and her presence in the role of Charlie’s mom Sally would have grounded things in a film involving giant robots. Much like Pamela Adlon in the role, Hawn would have been able to humanize Sally’s dynamic with her daughter and her comedic prowess would have helped in reacting with bewilderment to what her daughter’s gotten herself into.
Michael Rooker as Blitzwing (voice)
While he’s best known today as Merle Dixon from The Walking Dead and as Yondu Udonta in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, Rooker cut his teeth playing often despicable characters in films like Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and Mississippi Burning.
He would have been a shoo-in for the role of the Decepticon Seeker Blitzwing, who tracks Bumblebee to Earth and engages him in battle. It’s during this fight that Blitzwing sadistically rips out the young Autobot’s voice box before Bumblebee outwits the Decepticon by blowing him up using one of his own missiles. While David Sobolov nailed the menacing voice and attitude of the character, hearing Rooker’s raspy Southern drawl coming out of Blitzwing’s mouth would have also been a treat.
Stephen Lang as Jack Burns
Jack Burns is a complex character in Bumblebee as he’s not a villain but is someone that is willing to do what he thinks is necessary against whatever he perceives as a threat, that threat being Bumblebee. John Cena did a great job in the role, making you root against him whilst simultaneously understanding his point of view. While he’s best known today for villainous roles like in Avatar, Stephen Lang would have been just right to play Burns in the 1980s, as he could have brought a similar mentality and commanding physical presence to this character.
Miguel A. Nunez Jr. as Guillermo “Memo” Gutierrez
Jorge Lendeborg Jr. brought a good helping of awkward humor and sincerity to the role of Memo, Charlie’s neighbor who harbors a not-so-secret crush on her and bonds with both her and Bumblebee during the film.
Miguel A. Nunez Jr., then best known for his roles as Demon Winter in Friday the 13th: A New Beginning and Spider in The Return of the Living Dead, would have brought a different feel to Memo as a character but he could have made it work. His role as Demon showed he could handle comedy, particularly in a scene in which the character desperately needs a restroom and frantically rushes towards an outhouse. It would have been hysterical to see Nunez bring that same manic energy to the role of Memo, especially in the scene where Memo accidentally walks in on Bumblebee for the first time.
Bill Paxton as Dropkick (voice)
Dropkick is the more ruthless of the Decepticons, and Justin Theroux did an excellent job imbuing the character with a sadistic sense of glee that was as scary as it was darkly funny. But there’s no doubt that the late Bill Paxton would have knocked this role out of the park and then some. Around this time, Paxton was best known for playing rowdy, tough-talking characters like Private William Hudson in Aliens, and he would have infused Dropkick with a similar kind of attitude that would have made him more delightfully deranged.
Eartha Kitt as Shatter (voice)
Shatter was played with icy-cold precision by Angela Bassett in a truly threatening performance. There aren’t many actresses that could rival that take on the character, but Eartha Kitt certainly would have been up to the challenge. One of Kitt’s best-known performances is as Yzma in The Emperor’s New Groove; while that was mostly a comedic role, it was one brimming with calculating menace, made all the more magnetic thanks to the seductive quality of Kitt’s voice. Bringing those same qualities to Shatter could have made Kitt’s take on the role just as impressive as Bassett’s was.
Winona Ryder as Charlie Watson
The friendship between Bumblebee and Charlie Watson is at the heart of the story Bumblebee is telling, and it’s through this friendship that we see Charlie open up more, overcoming her feelings of grief and self-isolation. Hailee Steinfeld hit all the right beats in making Charlie a compelling protagonist, but a young Winona Ryder would have also fit the role like a glove.
Back in the 1980s, Ryder portrayed teenage characters like Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice and Veronica Sawyer in Heathers that weren’t too far removed from Charlie. Both roles saw Ryder use cynicism as a mask to hide their pain from others like Charlie does before the events of both films shaped them into people they were more comfortable as. If those roles are any indication, Ryder certainly would bring the same depth and multitude of emotions to Charlie.
Michael J. Fox as Bumblebee (voice)
Bumblebee, unfortunately, doesn’t get to speak for too much of the film, but his voice at the beginning should be young, vibrant, and warm if a bit self-conscious about succeeding in his mission on Earth. Dylan O’Brien captured all of those traits in the original film, but a young Michael J. Fox would have been the right choice for the 1980’s version. Fox was then best known at that time for playing Marty McFly in the Back to the Future films, where he succeeded at making Marty not only funny and clever but also dedicated and genuinely good-intentioned when it came to getting out of a predicament. Just his voice alone radiates likability, and he would have easily made Bumblebee a character we want to follow from the beginning of the film onwards.
