It’s hard not to geek out talking to Peter Cullen, since you’re talking to Optimus Prime himself – a childhood hero to myself and so many others. But I did the best to keep my composure when I spoke to Cullen at last week’s premiere for Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters. The third season is the final one for the series, but as Cullen noted, it’s never really the end for the remarkably durable Transformers franchise.

Cullen also spoke briefly about Transformers 4 , confirming he’ll once again be voicing Optimus Prime for Michael Bay’s hugely successful film series.

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Yeah, he had a rough go last season, but I think he gets up on his feet… You wouldn’t have a Season 3 without Prime getting on his feet! But it was a surprise to me too, because I’ve been through that once before in my life many, many years ago. I croaked and didn’t come back for 20-odd years, but that’s not the case with our Season 3 and Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters.We’re introducing whole new characters. I can’t get into too much detail about it, but I know the kids will be excited and the adults as well. Certainly there are great characters and great acting. The Predaking character is phenomenal and Frank Welker as Megatron is back at his best, making it difficult for me. Steve Blum is full force, as usual. And I’m really looking forward to the viewing again tonight. It’s something that I think everybody is going to enjoy on March 22nd.I don’t think there’s ever going to be a big finale. I think, as all series go, it’s always a transformation – there’s a good word! – into another environment. But it’s pretty much like man going to the moon, you know? "Well, that was one season, but now we’re going to Mars! Now there’s a whole new adventure there!" Who knows? I think it’s just as exciting to be wondering where it’s going to go next, you know?I just know that I’m going to be part of it and I’m very happy about that and I’m looking forward to getting into production. I think that is sometime in the late spring and for a 2013 premiere. So Michael Bay has an awful lot of time to do his magic.Some very brilliant, genius people, years ago, conceived this idea that drilled a great space into youthful imagination and it has stayed alive all these years because it is something that had never been done before... Certainly for a kid to play with a toy that became a character that he could relate to, one way or the other, whether mischievous or whether good or whatever – all of the characters took some form of popularity, to one person or another. But the ability for a franchise to pick up on that so many years ago and to keep it alive, I think is a blessing and I don’t see it ever failing or going anywhere. It’s a wonderful franchise that Hasbro came up with and The Hub network is doing a wonderful job of displaying that along with Discovery, so it’s just a great opportunity and I hope it keeps up for another 30 years!

Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters premieres March 22nd on The Hub.Eric Goldman is Executive Editor of IGN TV. You can follow him on Twitter at @EricIGN , IGN at ericgoldman-ign and Facebook at Facebook.com/TheEricGoldman