Michael Bay’s Transformers franchise is one of the most popular and successful movie series of all time. It has become a global phenomenon with fans all over the world. The movies are known for their high-octane action sequences, spectacular visual effects, and iconic characters.
One of the most popular characters in the franchise is Megan Fox’s Mikaela Banes. Though her performance in the first two Transformers movies was praised by critics and audiences alike, Fox was not a part of the third film in the series. While her absence was a question mark for fans, for many the bigger mystery is what her real age was during the first two films.
What was Megan Fox’s age in Transformers?
The speculations about Megan Fox’s age while filming Transformers may stem from her youthful appearance, which led many to believe she could not have been over 18. What further fueled the debate was the age of her character, Mikaela Banes, who was shown as a 16-year-old in the first Transformers movie.
But Fox was neither 18 nor did she match the age of her character in real life.
The actress was born on May 16, 1986, making her around 20 years old at the time of filming. This means that she would have just turned 21 when the film was released in July 2007.
Barring the often-discussed matter of her age in the films, the fact remains that Fox was an integral part of Transformers. And yet, the actress was mysteriously missing from the third film.
Why wasn’t Megan Fox in Transformers 3?
Megan Fox joined the Transformers franchise as Mikaela Banes in 2007’s Transformers. She reprised her role in the 2009 sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. However, Fox was not asked to return for 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon, with director Michael Bay replacing her with model Rosie Huntington-Whitele playing Sam Witwicky’s new love interest. There were rumors that Fox was dropped from the series due to her controversial comments about Bay being a “Hitler on his sets,” but she later clarified that she left willingly.
It’s also possible that Bay simply wanted to take the franchise in a different direction, or that he and Fox could not come to an agreement on some aspects of the production.
A brief overview of Megan Fox’s career
The actress’ career began when she was just 13 years old after she was discovered by a talent agent while vacationing in Los Angeles with her family. She made her acting debut soon thereafter in the Olsen twins’ film Holiday in the Sun (2001). From there, her career took off and she went on to star in films such as Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004), Transformers (2007), and Jennifer’s Body (2009).
Since appearing in Transformers, Fox has become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actresses. She has starred in a number of films, including the comedies This Is 40 and Think Like a Dog. In 2014, Fox had a lead role in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot and reprised her role in the 2016 sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. She will be starring in a few 2023 films, such as Johnny & Clyde, Naya Legend of the Golden Dolphin, Subservience, and The Expendables 4.