With "Transformers" director Michael Bay releasing an official statement that he will not be coming back for the franchise's fifth movie installment, one of the cast members have already expressed his sentiments toward Bay's departure.

Peter Cullen, the voice talent for main robot protagonist Optimus Prime, has already mentioned his preference for Bay to take on the directorial duties for the fifth movie. In an interview with Cinema Blend, Cullen emphasized how much the 49-year-old director was able to bring on positive energy during the filming of the past four "Transformers" films.

"I have a great deal of respect for Bay," Cullen shared. "He generates a great deal of excitement and energy. He's really a hands-on director. My son is a stunt man and worked in Chicago doing a lot of the driving sequences... he said he's a very, very diligent, hands-on guy."

With almost two years to go before "Transformers 5" is set to premiere, it remains a question to all as to who will be directing the upcoming installment. Despite pulling in considerable success since the release of the first film in 2007, Bay has stated that he has other plans for his career.

"There's kind of a new chapter, a new direction in movies I want to make," Bay explained in his interview with USA Today. "I have a lot of stories to tell. And it's about flexing new muscles."

Bay had first claimed to leave the "Transformers" franchise after his work on "Dark of the Moon" in 2011, but the Los Angeles-born director returned for the fourth film "Age of Extinction" with Mark Wahlberg leading the cast.

Meanwhile, Wahlberg will not be reprising his role for the upcoming "Transformers" movie.  The 43-year-old actor has already stated that he usually goes for one-shot movies as opposed to making sequels.

Although there have been no final plans and announcements in terms of the cast and crew of "Transformers 5," the movie has already been slotted to hit theaters on June 24, 2016.