Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem — Nickelodeon’s latest installment in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise — is inching closer daily. The animated movie, based on the classic Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird characters, was announced in 2020 and is the directorial debut of Jeff Rowe. The movie is the first animated entry into the series since the 2007 TMNT, which was derided by critics and fans alike for a lackluster plot and bad writing. The latest entry into the series is shifting gears and aims to focus on the “teenage” aspect of the turtles a bit more heavily. The move could be just what the franchise needs to dust off the dirt from its explosive time under Michael Bay.
Giving the Turtles the Spider-Man: Homecoming treatment could help the series reach a broader audience while still letting the turtles kick butt all through New York. With the new approach Nickelodeon has cast a slew of young actors to fill the shoes of the band of brothers, not to worry however, the voice talent behind the beloved characters has plenty of experience despite their youth and the studio has brought on massive talent to help fill in the gaps.
Leonardo – Nicolas Cantu
Nicolas Cantu may not be a name you’re overly familiar with, but the young actor has been lending his voice to characters for years. Cantu’s best-known performance was as the voice of Gumball Waterson, the main character of the Cartoon Network series The Amazing World of Gumball. Cantu filled the role from 2011 to 2019, while simultaneously playing Prince James in Disney plus’s series, Sofia the First (2016- 2018). His acting credits extend to the television screen, with the actor having appeared in several live-action shows, including AMC’s The Walking Dead and The Good Place. The 19-year-old is taking a step back from acting these days, only signing onto the projects he’s really interested in while he navigates his way through young adulthood.
Michelangelo – Shamon Brown Jr
Shamon Brown Jr. is the least experienced actor in the cast. Although the 18-year-old has just one role listed on his IMDB, the actor has been in print ads for years. His single credit comes from the Showtime coming of age drama, The Chi. Brown plays Stanley “Papa” Jackson, a breakout character from the show’s second season. The character quickly became a fan favorite, even among adults. Brown was 12 when he first appeared on the show, and the actor has been infinitely grateful to his supporters for pushing for his character to become a part of the main cast.
Donatello – Micah Abbey
Micah Abbey is the youngest member of the announced cast. The 15-year-old has been acting since before he was 10. While he only has a few screen credits under his belt, the young actor has proven his ability to carry a scene with his stint on Grey’s Anatomy. He played Leaf, one of two leading roles in the series Cousins for Life for the show’s limited run.
Raphael – Brady Noon
The final turtle brother is being portrayed by Brady Noon. The actor has been in several movies and TV shows and played a young Tommy Darmody on the HBO drama Boardwalk Empire alongside his identical twin, Connor Noon. He also had a starring role in The Might Ducks: Game Changers and flexed his comedic muscles as Thor Miller in the 2019 raunchy comedy Good Boys. He’s lent his voice to several projects in the past including Diary of A Wimpy Kid and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules as the main character, Greg.
Splinter – Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan is a cultural icon. The martial artist has starred in a variety of films over his many decades in the business, ranging from drama to comedy. Some of his best-known films include Shanghai Noon (2000), Rush Hour (1998), The Karate Kid (2010), and the Police Story franchise. The 68-year-old is no stranger to voice acting, the star portrayed Monkey in Kung Fu Panda and even played Li Shang for the Cantonese version of Disney’s Mulan.
April O’neil – Ayo Edebiri
At 27, Ayo Edebiri is the oldest of the OG Turtle group. The actress is a long-time comedian in Hollywood. Though she has worked on a number of projects as both actor and writer, her most prominent role to date has been assuming the role of Missy Foreman-Greenwald in Netflix’s raunchy comedy Big Mouth. She picked up the mantle after the series felt the role would come across better if Missy were portrayed by a black actress, a move which most people applauded. She has also appeared in Mel Brooks History of the World, Part II and is rumored to be cast in the upcoming Thunderbolts movie.
Bebop – Seth Rogan
Comedy powerhouse Seth Rogan isn’t just the talent, the actor is also one of the producers behind the project. Rogan has been acting for decades and has starred in several blockbusters including Knocked up, Paul, Funny People, and SuperBad. He is no stranger to voice work, having lent his familiar tones to Master Mantis in the Kung fu Panda series and B.O.B. in the DreamWorks movie Monsters vs. Aliens.
Rocksteady – John Cena
John Cena may have started his career as a wrestler, but the man has come a long way since the ’90s. Cena has provided the voice on several projects over the years including a stint in the 2018 Rise of the TMNT series as the villainous Draxum. His first voice role came way back in 2014 with Scooby-Doo WrestleMania Mystery in which he played himself. More recently he played Ferdinand the Bull in 20th century Fox’s animated film Ferdinand.
Genghis Frog – Hannibal Buress
Long-time comedian Hannibal Buress is no stranger to Hollywood. The actor/rapper/comedian has been working in the industry since 2010 and has made numerous cameos as himself throughout the years. He got his mainstream start on the Eric Deandre Show back in 2012 and has written for SNL and 30 Rock. His more recent roles include that of Lincoln Rice in Broad City and as Coach Andre Wilson in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Leatherhead – Rose Byrne
In a bizarre turn of events, the talented and lovely Rose Byrne has been tapped to play the mutated super-croc Leatherhead. The 43-year-old Byrne has been acting since 1994, and has run the gambit of different performance types. The actress has been in a wide variety of projects ranging from period pieces and drama to horror and musicals. She’s best known for her work in the Insidious series as Renai Lambert, X-men: First Class as Moira MacTaggert and Bridesmaids as Helen Harris III. She has one voice credit to her name as Jemima Puddle-Duck in Peter Rabbit (2018).
Ray Fillet – Post Malone
Though Post Malone doesn’t have as much history in the business as many of his co-stars, this isn’t the singer’s first time in a recording booth. He played a small role in Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse and has been making a living behind a mic since 2015. Some of his most popular songs to date are “Sunflower,” “Rockstar,” and his debut song “White Iverson.”
Mondo Gecko – Paul Rudd
Anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock is familiar with the name Paul Rudd. The 53-year-old actor has been in Hollywood since the early ’90s and got his breakout role in the 1995 comedy, Clueless. His expert delivery and charming presence have made the actor a mainstay and landed him a coveted spot in the Marvel Universe in Ant-Man. Though mostly known for his on-screen appearances, the actor has played Ant-Man in several animated MCU additions and has voiced guest characters in Bob’s Burgers, The Simpsons, and in Monsters vs aliens as Derek Dietl.
Cynthia Utrom – Maya Rudolph
Another SNL alum, Maya Rudolph has been acting since the mid-90s. She started her career as a backup singer before transitioning to acting in the mid-90s. She was a mainstay cast member on SNL from 2000-2007 and landed one of her first big roles in 2006 with the comedy Idiocracy. Her stellar sense of comedic timing and her many talents have carved out a niche for the actress, who has starred in comedy blockbusters like Bridesmaids and Grownups. Rudolph has lent her voice to many films including Luca, as Daniela Paguro, Turbo as Burn, and as aunt Cass in Big Hero 6.
Wingnut – Natasia Demetriou
Natasia Demetriou is just gaining traction as a comedian and writer. The actress got her start back in 2012 but her most recognized role is that of Nadja in the vampire comedy, What We Do in the Shadows. Demetriou hasn’t done much in the way of voice work, but the actress did lend her voice to Cala Maria in The Cuphead Show.
Superfly – Ice Cube
IceCube is another name on this list with some serious tenure in the entertainment industry. Starting his career as a rapper along side Eazy-E and Dr. Dre, Cube has been credited with penning most of the lyrics for “Straight Outta Compton,” the trio’s signature N.W.A. song. Ice Cube would eventually leave the group to focus on his solo career, which allowed him the freedom to fill the role of Darin “Doughboy” Baker in Boyz n the Hood. Despite his knack for drama and a seemingly endless well of anger to pull from, Cube consistently fell back on comedy roles for years, and has starred in several children’s movies. The talented actor has lent his voice to several productions, including the Book of Life 2 as the Candlemaker, and as Joseph Bowman in Call of Duty: Black Ops.
Baxter Stockman – Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Esposito has been acting since 1970, but the 64-year-old found mainstream success in his portrayal of Gus Fring, the enigmatic villain in AMC’s Breaking Bad. In recent years he has breathed life into characters like Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian and Congressman Adam Clayton Powell in Godfather of Harlem. Esposito’s long tenure in the business has given the actor plenty of time to find voice work and he has lent his dulcet tones to Faraday in Netflix’s Cyberpunk: Edge Runners, “El Presidente” Anton Castillo in the Far Cry 6 video game, and Akela in Disney’s The Jungle Book live-action remake.
Published: Mar 23, 2023 01:12 pm