Why Brian Tyree Henry Loves His ‘Mature’ Transformers One Character

Brian Tyree Henry recently played a vehicle in Transformers One (Megatron) and a character fascinated by Thomas the Tank Engine. One of the most memorable parts of Bullet Train is the character of Henry, who evokes Thomas more than anything else.

For Henry, deciding between the two IPs was a tough one: “They’re both made of steel—they’re both pretty groundbreaking,” he mused. “I’ll say Transformers.”

Why? Because the Transformers transform into different things, while Thomas is one-dimensional. He also called the Transformers “more mature.”

When it comes to his favorite Transformer, the decision is simple: “I want you to answer this question,” he tells me. “What do you think?”

The answer is obvious: Megatron, the character he voiced in Transformers One. While his joking answer may seem vain, he smiled as he explained, “He’s a badass.”

We enter the Transformers One booth

Voice acting is a completely different beast to live acting. For Henry, it’s “absolute bliss” because he gets to show up in the studio in his sweatpants with crumbs on his face.

“You also have to leave (your) ego at the door,” he said. “You go in there and you’re in that booth for however many hours a year and you develop that character based on what’s on the page and what’s coming off the page.”

Transformers One was the origin story of Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry). The prequel allowed Henry to explore different shades of the character. He brought elements of his younger years into his performance.

“I felt like D-16 and Orion Pax were at that point in their lives, early 20s — I felt like they were in their early 20s, I don’t know what that means in robot years — but I felt like it was a point where they were trying to figure out what kind of men they wanted to be in the world and what their values ​​were. But also their friendship was so deep and close, and they didn’t know much about each other.”

He tried to tap into the emotions he felt in his 20s. Henry admitted that he was “stubborn” and “crazy” back then. Megatron, known as D-16 to most of Transformers One, is still developing his worldview.

Henry wants to take viewers on a ride as D-16 slowly transforms into Megatron. He wants you to feel the disappointment “passing through” the screen.

Throwing everything at the wall

Relying on imagination was key to creating Megatron. Henry calls this part of filmmaking “the most rewarding” because “you have no idea what’s going to stick. So you’re trying to throw everything at the wall.”

His only instrument for this is his voice, so he throws it against the wall. Henry thinks his voice is enough to do it. It doesn’t sound like he’s recording with stars Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Keegan-Michael Key. That makes his work all the more impressive.

What to expect from Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse

Henry will next reprise his voice role as Jefferson Davis in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse . Henry can’t say much about the upcoming threequel — it doesn’t sound like even he’s heard much about it — but he promises that Jefferson is “on a wild ride.”

Family is at the heart of the Spider-Verse films. Miles Morales is separated from his reality at the end of Across the Spider-Verse. His reunion with Jefferson is one of the most anticipated moments of the upcoming film.

“She would do anything for her son, and that love for her son is the most fulfilling and powerful thing she has,” Henry explains. “So who knows? I still think to myself, What will happen?”

Transformers One is in cinemas now.