It’s not just called Mutant Mayhem for nothing! Earlier this year we saw the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, starring the likes of Jackie Chan, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Ice cube and plenty more. The film follows the Turtle brothers as they work to earn the love of New York City while facing down an army of mutants, and there are plenty of them.
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As we look forward to the Home Entertainment release, we’re taking a look at the world of mutants, exploring their characteristics and which talented actors brought them to life.
WARNING - this feature contains spoilers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem!
Splinter
None other than legendary martial arts maestro, Jackie Chan, brings his charm and prowess to wise sensei and adoptive father to the Ninja Turtles, Master Splinter. The beloved character has had a few different incarnations across the Turtle-Verse, from a mutated version of ninja master Hamato Yoshi, to a pet rat. In Mutant Mayhem, Splinter is a lonely street rat who finds a new purpose as a father after finding four baby turtles. In an epic action sequence, he rescues the Turtles from TCRI headquarters, showcasing his skills in a tribute to Jackie Chan's classic martial art choreography.
Superfly
Lending his voice to the role of brand-new ‘cool supervillain’ Superfly, Ice Cube, bringing the perfect mix of intimidation, humour and swagger. Superfly was created by his father, lonely scientist Baxter Stockman and after Baxter seemingly dies, Superfly has to take on the task of raising his mutant brothers and sisters. Realising that humans will never accept him, he sets sights on wiping them out and taking over the world. Ice Cube fully embraced the role, bringing improvisational lines such as “6 in the mornin’ police at my door”, which added dimension and personality to the character, showing that he isn’t just a villain, he’s a music fan too!
Bebop and Rocksteady
Iconic duo Bebop and Rocksteady are a mutated warthog and rhinoceros, voiced by the film’s writer and producer, Seth Rogan and WWE legend John Cena. Interestingly, this is not John Cena’s first TMNT project, as he also featured as Baron Draxum in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Bebop and Rocksteady are probably some of the most popular henchmen in the franchise. Although not the brightest pair, their powerful builds and punky attitudes make these two criminals the most intimidating of the mutant gang. In other incarnations, they have been featured to have been mutated from human street gang members, but in Mutant Mayhem, they were mutated from a warthog and black rhinoceros.
Mondo Gecko
Mondo Gecko, the mutant gecko, is voiced by legendary comedian Paul Rudd. In the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics he was an average skateboarding, teenage boy called Jason until he was exposed to mutagen whilst carrying his pet lizard. In the 1987 cartoon, Mondo Gecko is a regular gecko who was raised to be a petty criminal. In Mutant Mayhem, Mondo Gecko is a baby gecko who mutates into a fun-loving, enthusiastic skater. He stands out as the most lovable and least intimidating character out of his mutant siblings and his on-screen interactions with his best friend Mikey, along with his frequent use of the word "bro," add a hilarious element to the film.
Leatherhead
One of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ most recognisable and beloved characters is Leatherhead, a mutant alligator named because of his leathery head. There have been different versions of Leatherhead, including a story in the Archie TMNT Adventures where he was originally a poor human living in a swamp until a witch's curse transformed him into a humanoid alligator. Throughout his appearances, he has served as both an enemy and ally (but mostly an ally) to the Turtles and like the rest of his siblings, in Mutant Mayhem, he joins the ranks of the heroes. Brought to life by Neighbours and Insidious actor Rose Byrne, Leatherhead takes on a unique twist as a female with an Australian accent.
Other mutants
Among the other diverse cast of mutants in the film, we have Ray Fillet, a mutant manta ray who loves to sing his own name, voiced by Post Malone. Then there’s Wingnut, a gadget-loving mutant bat, whose character is voiced by Natasia Demetriou. Adding a touch of punky charm is Genghis Frog, a mutant frog, voiced by the hilarious Hannibal Buress. And let’s not forget about Scumbug, a mutant insect with a unique personality, voiced by Alex Hirsch.
Want more? Be sure to check out the behind-the-scenes featurette - ‘It’s Called Mutant Mayhem’.
