Rediscover Marvel Roles Voiced by Transformers’ Peter Cullen

Peter Cullen has likely stirred the imaginations of countless children without them even realizing it. His rich vocal talents brought the beloved Optimus Prime from the Transformers series to life. Beyond this iconic role, Cullen’s voice has graced characters in “Winnie the Pooh,” “Voltron: Defender of the Universe,” and “Invincible.” While many might know these roles, fewer are aware of his work voicing a host of Marvel characters.

In 1981, two Spider-Man cartoons made their way to television screens—”Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends” and the straightforwardly named “Spider-Man.” While they might not top the list of the best Spider-Man representations, they hold nostalgic value for many. Peter Cullen’s debut on “Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends” came in the episode “Spidey Goes Hollywood,” where Spider-Man finds himself in Hollywood, thwarted by Mysterio’s machinations and a raging Bruce Banner morphing into the Hulk. Cullen showcased his vocal dexterity by portraying both the Hulk and Mysterio, and later made a guest appearance as the wrestler Crusher Hogan.

Cullen’s voice also graced the 1981 “Spider-Man” series. His standout moment came when he menaced as Red Skull in “The Capture of Captain America.” In this episode, Red Skull concocts a plot to kidnap Captain America and swap minds to commandeer the U.S. military. Naturally, Spider-Man steps in to foil this devious plan.

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Another quirky Marvel-related project featuring Cullen was NBC’s 1979 animated series “Fred and Barney Meet the Thing.” Despite its title, iconic characters Fred and Barney from “The Flintstones” never shared a scene with Marvel’s Thing from the Fantastic Four. Instead, the show was a dual-segment adventure that included a story where Thing battles a malfunctioning robot named the Clunk, voiced by Cullen.

While “Fred and Barney Meet the Thing” has faded into relative obscurity, Cullen’s role as a robot offers a glimpse into his future as the voice of Optimus Prime. Marvel wasn’t his only playground, as Cullen also dipped his toes into the DC universe. He contributed his skills to “The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show,” which ran from 1979 to 1980. This quirky show featured various superhero segments, including one where Cullen voiced Mighty Man, alongside his friend and notorious Decepticon adversary Frank Welker, who played Yukk, the world’s ugliest dog.

Cullen also voiced the Hunter in an episode of the 1988 “Superman” cartoon. The Hunter is one of Lex Luthor’s creations, whose body can transform into any material it gets ahold of. Of course, eventually he becomes kryptonite.

Throughout his illustrious career, Cullen voiced all kinds of monsters, villains, and automatons. He was truly a one-of-a-kind talent, and the silence he leaves behind will hurt. Fortunately, there are countless hours of his voice available to carry his memory onward.