Megan Foxs character Mikaela Banes was absent in Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon. At the end of Transformers 2, Mikaela and Sams relationship seemed strong, and they were on track for a happy start to the third installment. However, Transformers: Dark of the Moon proved to diverge from the expected, and there was no Mikaela to be found. Sams love interest was quietly replaced by Carly Spencer, played by model Rosie Huntington-Whitely, and there was little explanation for why Mikaela and Sam ended their relationship, besides a mention from one of the Transformers that Sam "got dumped". The absence of Fox saw Rosie Huntington-Whiteley join the franchise as Sams new love interest Carly, with the film only barely explaining that Sam and Mikaela broke up. The fact that their story ended so abruptly left plenty of room for speculation about where she had gone and why.