'Transformers': Dominique Fishback wanted to face-punch Anthony Ramos more in 'Rise of the Beasts'

"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" brings the long-running war between ancient alien robots to 1994 Brooklyn, but it's the human stars who provide the local cred.

Anthony Ramos, 31, and Dominique Fishback, 32, are so steeped in their native Brooklyn that neither learned to drive growing up in the New York City borough. Ramos stepped on the gas to earn his first driver's license just weeks before filming his role as the human BFF to Autobot Mirage (voiced by Pete Davidson), who transforms into a sleek 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera.

That effort turned out to be for nothing.

"Don't tell anyone, but I got my license for this movie so that I could drive, And I didn't drive once," says Ramos. "But that's cool, it's a Transformer, right? So it drives itself."

Here's what the new humans bring to "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" (in theaters Friday):

Dominique Fishback took the dramatic route to 'Transformers' and one final anonymous subway ride

Neither Ramos nor Fishback were obvious choices to lead the billion-dollar sci-fi action "Transformers" franchise. Ramos' past professional life has been heavily "Hamilton"-influenced after starring in the dual roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in Lin-Manuel Miranda's original 2015 Broadway production. Ramos even met his former fiancée, actress Jasmine Cephas Jones, on the first day of rehearsals for the stage sensation (the couple has since split) before starring in Miranda's 2021 movie musical "In the Heights."

Ramos is ready to expand people's perceptions and his repertoire with "Rise of the Beasts," which didn't require singing or dancing.

"I love musicals, but I'm OK if I don't do another one," says Ramos. "It was a very nice gift to just say words and that's it. And jump off of things and fight. I love action."

Fishback, starring in Donald Glover's Amazon series "Swarm," has displayed her dramatic acting chops in projects such as the 2019 TV drama series "The Deuce" and the 2021 Oscar best picture-nominated movie "Judas and the Black Messiah."

"When I first decided that I wanted to act as a kid, I wanted to be versatile," says Fishback. "I want to do those award-winning movies. But I also want to do blockbusters."

Visiting Brooklyn last year, Fishback took frequent subway rides, knowing that being an anonymous passenger might be impossible after "Transformers."

"It was frustrating growing up, always having to catch the train," she says. "But I know after this, I might regret that I don't get to just take the train anymore."

Dominique Fishback can throw a punch, Anthony Ramos got singed in 'Transformers' stunt

Fishback brings the brains as anthropologist Elena Wallace, who helps to discover the secrets of an ancient civilization at the center "Rise of the Beasts." But she also brought the power, hanging from a fake bridge in one explosive scene ("I got to be in a harness and yanked back") and punching Ramos' character smack in the grill in their first unhinged meeting.

"It was like, 'Pow!' I was having fun with that," says Fishback, who savored her stunt wallops. "They only let me do it like two times, and they said they got (the shot). I was like, 'Are you sure?' I wanted to do it more times."

Ramos estimates he did about 80% of his character's stunts as ex-U.S. Army private and tech genius Noah Diaz, who accidentally befriends Mirage. The driving was handled by a stuntman steering from the back of the custom-built Porsche with Ramos at the wheel of the car.

But the actor is clearly visible in action scenes, vaulting over a museum table during an explosive escape where one pyrotechnic did some close-call damage.

"When we watched (the scene) back, I was like 'Yo, that spark is going down my windbreaker.' And it stayed there while we were crawling for cover in the scene," says Ramos, who was not injured. "There was a burn on my jacket. I'm happy that it didn't end up worse. I was like, 'Oh yeah, that was for real.' "

Ramos had to convince director Steven Caple Jr. to let him do the stunts in the action-heavy finale, training on weekends with the stunt choreographer.

"They had to add a couple of days for me to shoot it, which was going to cost money," says Ramos. "But I wanted the audience to see my face."

'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' brought Brooklyn to Peru's Machu Picchu

"Rise of the Beasts" heads to the Peruvian 15th-century Incan citadel Machu Picchu for the showdown involving the ancient race of Autobot descendants the Maximals. This required adjustments as food is forbidden on the World Heritage site atop an 8,000-foot mountain ridge. The closest food source was a restaurant a precarious 20-minute bus ride away that impressed new driver and freaked out passenger Ramos.

"We kept going up and down this cliff. And looking out this bus moving down this mountain, it was like, 'Yo this bus is mad close to the edge,'" says Ramos. "But those guys were whipping and they were killing it."

During one weather-forced break in the six-week Peruvian shoot, Ramos showed off his singing skills for the crew off-camera.

"It was raining and we were just sitting there," Fishback recalls. "I had this microphone and Anthony just started singing The Temptations' 'Just My Imagination.' Then the clouds parted and the sun came out. It really did."

More on 'Transformers' and the movie's human stars:

What's coming in 'Transformers'? New movie villains Terrorcons will wreak havoc on Brooklyn

'For the culture!' How Anthony Ramos rallied 'In the Heights' cast to joy even on the hardest days

Dominique Fishback The actress talks Samuel L. Jackson, new ‘Transformers’ film

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Transformers' cast: Meet the Brooklynites from 'Rise of the Beasts'