Michael Bay Pledges 'The Dead Will Stay Dead'

USA Today on Bay re: the dead in Transformers 3.

...Michael Bay and Co. acknowledge missteps with the last one and aim to upgrade the shape-shifting robot franchise with a more coherent story, less goofball humor and a pledge that characters who die will stay dead.

and

While Optimus Prime, Megatron and even Sam all have died and been resurrected, di Bonaventura says this film will have no do-overs: Die, and that's it.

The dead will stay dead... Certainly a step toward a 'more coherent story'.