Pete Davidson’s post-SNL career has been robust, as he’s been branching out into movies. He is one of the stars of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and quickly became a fan favorite with his razor sharp wit and hilarious improvisation skills. Davidson fits perfectly in the Transformers universe, however many will be surprised to hear that the Bupkis star was not originally part of the plan for the film and was a late addition to the Transformers 7 cast.
In a recent interview for ScreenRant with the Second Unit Director of the film James Madigan, the industry professional revealed that Pete Davidson was added extremely late in the production process. The movie was actually finished filming when the actor was cast as Mirage. Madigan explained that the personality of the character was more fully formed when Davidson got into the mix, elevating the movie further. He said:
One thing that's fascinating for me was that personality of Mirage, was there, pre Pete Davidson being cast to play the role. We shot this two years ago, right? So when I read it on the page it had that kind of personality...and to see what Pete Davidson did to it. It's that character plus more. So the fact that, that matched so well into that character, and then just elevated it further.
He certainly brings something special into the mix. The SNL alum is absolutely hilarious, and is a big source of comic relief in the movie. A dirty joke improvised by Davidson initially was nixed by Paramount, but was kept in when it got the biggest laugh from test audiences. This shows his instincts are superb, and likely the reasons so many called him a scene-stealing MVP of the robot action movie.
Davidson plays Mirage, a spy for the Autobots who can project holograms and transform into a variety of different cars including a Porsche and Lamborghini. He is key to the film, and with his importance, it’s extremely surprising the Meet Cute star was cast so late in the game. The actor had a lot of support in joining the franchise as Transformers icon Megan Fox was super supportive of her pal’s casting.
As a whole, Transformers is lucky to have cast Davidson, even if he came to the party after the movie had already been filmed. This shows his strong ability as a voice actor, as he was able to come into an already completed project and make it even better. He is a big reason for the movie having such fan support, with some considering Rise of the Beasts to be one of the best in the franchise. Hopefully this isn’t it for the comedian, as many hope to see Mirage in many future iterations for the Transformers franchise.
You can catch Transformers: Rise of the Beasts now, by purchasing the movie on Amazon. Fans of the Mirage actor should check out our feature on where to watch other Pete Davidson movies and TV shows. For more information on other blockbuster films hitting theaters this summer, make sure to consult our 2023 movie release schedule.
