Get ready to dust off those turtle shells and ninja masks, because the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are ready to skate back into theaters withTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem(2023).
The iconic reptilian superheroes have a very long history in the world of animated television, but the Turtles also have a lengthy history in the cinematic world as well. The Turtles got their big-screen live-action debut with the original live-action trilogy, which consists ofTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(1990),Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze(1991), andTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III(1993). Over a decade later, the Turtles would get another crack at big-screen glory withTMNT(2007) - an animated reboot that took the team into a slightly more dramatic direction. The last time we saw the beloved heroes in a movie theater setting was with another live-action attempt in theMichael Bay-producedTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(2014) and its sequel,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows(2016).
We did get a surprisingly great crossover with the straight-to-videoBatman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(2019) and the Netflix-exclusive spin-off filmRise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie(2022), the franchise’s film footprint has been quiet for the last few years. That’s set to change courtesy of “permanent teenager"Seth RogenwithTeenage Mutant: Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which offers a new spin on the “Turtles in a Half Shell” with some snazzySpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse(2018) style animation. Plus, this is arguably the firstTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesadaptation where the Turtlesactuallysound like teenagers.
Following an announcement at the 2023 Kid’s Choice Awards on Nickelodeon,Seth Rogen revealed the entire cast for the film, and it’s one packed with star-power and fan favorites from the franchise. To find out who you may expect to see inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, read below for our comprehensive cast and character guide.
Related:‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’: Release Date, Trailer, and Everything We Know So Far
Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo
One of the many people to voice Gumball Watterson inThe Amazing World of Gumball(2011-2019),Nicolas Cantuwill be leading the Ninja Turtles as Leonardo.
Leo and his three siblings were once average turtles who gained their humanoid forms after being exposed to Ooze - a mysterious chemical that’s responsible for the creation of the many mutants in the film. Leo is often portrayed as the sensible leader of the group, always having to steer his brothers in the right direction and keep them out of trouble. That being said, Leo is also just a teenager, and he still finds himself getting into rebellious fun with his siblings and dealing with issues that any young adult would face.
Brady Noon as Raphael
The easy hot-head of the group,Brady Noon(The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers) will play Raphael, who is often considered the polar opposite of Leonardo.
While Leo strives to be as cautious and responsible as possible, Raph is always getting the siblings into trouble. His “fight first, ask questions later” attitude often gets the quartet into trouble, but his street smarts also get the group out of some tough situations. He often uses brute force to tackle any sort of foes and very much functions as the tank of the group, being the first to jump head-first into danger.
Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo
Next, there’s the comic relief machine that is Michelangelo, played byShamon Brown Jr.(The Chi).
Michelangelo isn’t the smartest, strongest, or even the best fighter in the group, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t an invaluable member of the team. He’s always been the funniest and most empathetic member of the crew, constantly cracking jokes and wharfing down pizza any chance he gets. Armed with nunchucks and a can-do attitude, what Mikey lacks in intelligence he makes up for in love for his family.
Micah Abbey as Donatello
Last but certainly not least of the Turtles is the young genius Donatello, played byMicah Abbey(Cousins for Life).
Donnie could easily be called the brains of the organization. Though he’s just as proficient in combat as his peers, Donnie prefers to handle things from a computer or a mobile device. He’s always coming up with new gizmos and gadgets to help the Turtles fight crime in the modern era. Having a personality that’s more on the logical side, Donnie can occasionally be somewhat of a pessimist, but will always fight alongside his brothers when the need calls for it.
Jackie Chan as Master Splinter
Jackie Chanis an action movie icon who requires no introduction, and he’s no stranger to animated films about martial arts having played Monkey in theKung Fu Pandafilms. Now, he’ll be playing a different mammal master as the Turtles' rodent father figure, Master Splinter.
Like his adopted children, Splinter was once an average rat before being affected by the Ooze. How Splinter became a master in the ways of Ninjutsu has varied from the variousNinja Turtlefilms and shows, but he always passed on that knowledge to his children. To the Turtles, Splinter is far more than a mere trainer to them. They really do view Master Splinter as their genuine father. To them, Splinter taught them not just how to be crime-fighting heroes, but also how to be better people.
Ayo Edebiri as April O’Neil
Ayo Edebiribecame an instant star followingher incredible performance inThe Bear(2022-), and now she’ll be portraying an entirely new version of a classicNinja Turtlescharacter.
April O’Neil is a human reporter who has been a long-time ally of the Turtles, helping them navigate the world above the New York City sewers whenever she can. She’s best known for wearing that iconic yellow jumpsuit in the original show, but perhaps viewing a yellow jumpsuit as a bit outdated,Mutant Mayhemgives April a more modern and updated look (while still keeping the character’s penchant for yellow intact). Though she may not have the ninja training that her turtle friends have, April is still more than capable of holding her own against criminal thugs and evil mutants.
Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman
Being so well known for his villain roles, such as Gustavo Fring fromBreaking Bad(2008-2013) and Moff Gideon fromThe Mandalorian(2019-),it makes sense thatGiancarlo Espositowill be portraying Dr. Baxter Stockman, who could very well be the main villain of the film.
Baxter Stockman is the epitome of a mad scientist, developing all manner of enemies for the Turtles ranging from mindless robots to deadly mutants, the latter likely being the case for the movie calledMutant Mayhem. On occasion, Baxter even becomes a mutant himself from time to time, becoming a horrific human-fly hybrid that looks like it came straight out of aJeff Goldblumfilm. As nefarious as Stockman may be, he’s also often serving an even more sinister force, such as a certain clawed samurai and a particular brain-like alien.
Seth Rogen and John Cena as Bebop and Rocksteady
There are a ton of mutants who will be going toe to toe with the Turtles in Mutant Mayhem, but these first two characters are a duo that fans will instantly recognize. Easily the two most popular henchmen in the franchise’s history, Bebop and Rocksteady will be played by comedian andMutant Mayhemproducer Seth Rogen andWWE superstar turned blockbuster actorJohn Cenarespectively.
Unlike the Turtles, who were once average turtles that were turned into hybrid superheroes, Bebop and Rocksteady were humans who were turned into hybrid supervillains. The pair of thugs were once petty criminals, just skating by from odd job to odd job. A bit of DNA splicing and Ooze later, Bebop became half-man half-warthog 80s punk rocker and Rocksteady became a hulking half-man half-rhino enforcer. Thus, the two became regulars in the Turtles' rogues gallery, though they’re usually quickly defeated by the crime fighters.
Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko
Paul Ruddwill be trading in his Ant-Man alter-egoin exchange for a lizard one as Mondo Gecko, who has been both friend and foe to the Turtles.
Mondo’s origins stem from being another reptile that came into contact with the Ooze, afterward gaining a larger-than-life personality. However, instead of using his newfound sentience for good, Mondo instead decided to become a rambunctious skater with little regard for anyone else. He was also a henchman for a mysterious figure by the name of Mr. X, and he found himself fighting against the Turtles. The Turtles were able to help Mondo see the error of his ways and break off from X’s control, thus becoming a friend to the heroes in a half shell.
Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut
We all know thatNatasia Demetrioucan play one shell of a vampirethanks to her character of Nadja inWhat We Do in the Shadows(2019-), so it seems appropriate that she’ll be playing a gender-swapped version of the bat mutant Wingnut in the upcoming film.
Though it may initially appear that Wingnut was once a bat that got affected by the Ooze, the character’s origins are actually much more extra-terrestrial. The character was actually from outer space, often working with an alien mosquito by the name of Screwloose. Like Mondo Gecko, Wingnut is occasionally a friend to the Turtles in some adaptations, but more often than not is another bad guy henchman.
