Loads of people have started adding Linkin Park's What I've Done to classic movie endings and it's hilarious

2007 was a transformative year for Linkin Park. In May that year, they released third album Minutes To Midnight. It was a record that, while still packing some of the nu metal bounce and crunch that had defined their first two records, 2000's game-changing Hybrid Theory and beloved 2003 follow-up Meteora, firmly began their shift towards the more anthemic, radio-rock friendly territory that defined the latter part of their career. 

Lead single What I've Done felt like a line in the sand, in that respect. A mid-paced, mournful anthem, its release one month ahead of the album signified a very different kind of Linkin Park: one not ashamed of its roots, but ready to move onto pastures new. It was a success upon release, but its legacy was truly sealed a few weeks later when it was included as the lead theme in Michael Bay's Transformers movie. Its appearance in the film itself, kicking in during the final scene as Optimus Prime gives his thoughtful monologue on the fate of Earth, was box office gold, propelling Linkin Park to an even bigger audience than before and creating the most iconic moment of the entire (and increasingly ridiculous) Transformers franchise.

15 years on, it seems the scene's legacy has a lasting impact. A new trend on Twitter has seen fans attempting to recreate the magic by dubbing What I've Done over some of the most legendary ending scenes in cinema. From Star Wars to The Godfather to Spider-Man, it seems no box office franchise has been left untouched by the 'but it came out in 2007' trend, which has even taken in remixes of the final scenes from classic cartoons and video games (we're big fans of the Elden Ring version, personally).

But why has this all happened, you ask? It seems to originate from what we think is the very first riff on the idea, created by Twitter user @CastCretaceous, who made a Linkin Park'd take on the final scene of 2015's Jurassic World last week. From there, it seems that The Internet just did its thing. 

Either way, it at least goes to show that, when all is said and done, the Linkin Park/Michael Bay combo was actually pretty awesome, and deserves its moment in cinematic history.

Have a look at some of our favourite takes on this daftest of trends below.