Credit: (Back) Paramount Pictures and New Line Cinema (Front) Universal StudiosThe “New Turtles” teaser finally reveals two characters now portrayed by female actors.
It’s no stretch to say that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has always been a diverse franchise. 1997 saw the first female Turtle, Venus de Milo, in the live-action television series Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (1997).
Since then, there have been even more female Turtles in the long-running IDW Publishing comic book series, from human-turned-Turtle Jennika to the more recent Moja and Yi, who form part of the new line-up in the ongoing “TMNT: The Last Ronin” (2020) series.
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Now, the CG-animated reboot Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) is set to be just as diverse. Not only is April O’Neil portrayed as African-American (voiced by African-American actress Ayo Edebiri), two TMNT villains are portrayed by female actors.
Those villains are mutant alligator Leatherhead and alien-in-human-form Cynthia Utrom, voiced by Bridesmaids (2011) duo Rose Byrne and Maya Rudolph, respectively. The long-standing character of Leatherhead has previously been portrayed as male in the many TMNT iterations, while Cynthia Utrom appears to be a version of the male villain Krang.
Related: What Is the New Female ‘Ninja Turtles’ Sequel About?
Now, we finally have our first look at both of these characters in a new promotional video titled “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem — The New Turtles,” in which producer Seth Rogen name-drops all the film’s characters and the actors who play them.
Check out the video below:
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While we only see a still image of Cynthia Utrom (which is part of a series of newly revealed character posters for the film), we see Leatherhead in action, with Rose Byrne’s native Aussie accent, as she says, “G’day, fellas!”
These villains might not be anywhere near as iconic as the likes of Bebop and Rocksteady (who are voiced by Seth Rogen and John Cena in the upcoming film), but between this new change-up and the two new female Turtles in “The Last Ronin,” we could end up with an all-female TMNT movie one day.
Check out the trailer for Mutant Mayhem below:
Related: ‘Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ Full Characters and Cast Guide
As per Wikipedia, here’s the official synopsis for Mutant Mayhem:
After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtles set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a notorious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.
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Mutant Mayhem stars Nicolas Cantu (Leonardo), Micah Abbey (Donatello), Shamon Brown Jr. (Michelangelo), Brady Noon (Raphael), Jackie Chan (Splinter), Ayo Edebiri (April O’Neil), Seth Rogen (Bebop), John Cena (Rocksteady), Hannibal Buress (Genghis Frog), Rose Byrne (Leatherhead), Ice Cube (Superfly), Post Malone (Ray Fillet), Paul Rudd (Mondo Gecko), Maya Rudolph (Cynthia Utrom), Natasia Demetriou (Wingnut), and Giancarlo Esposito (Baxter Stockman).
Mutant Mayhem (2023) will be released in theaters on August 2, 2023.
What do you think about these characters now being portrayed by female actors? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!