The sequel to 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is shaping up to be an extra loving tribute to the 1980s cartoon in a way that none of the other films were. Already announced were Stephen Amell as Casey Jones, Brian Tee taking on the role of the Shredder, Tyler Perry as nerdy-evil scientist Baxter Stockman, and Gary Anthony Williams and Stephen Farrelly as hench-mutants Bebop and Rocksteady. The trailer even showed off the appearance of Kraang, the alien brain with a face that hangs out in the stomach of a giant, bald robot. But what we didn’t know is who would voice him. Would Pat Fraley return from the cartoon incarnation?
The answer, it turns out, is no. At Friday night’s WonderCon panel for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, it was announced that none other than Saturday Night Live alum, Portlandia co-creator, and Seth Meyers’ bandleader Fred Armisen will be providing the voice of the evil being from Dimension X. Though he is certainly known more for his live action comedy work, Armisen has done voices on several animated projects, including Archer, Bob’s Burgers, and most notably as the voice of Speedy Gonzales on Cartoon Network’s The Looney Tunes Show.
That wasn’t the only new Turtles nugget to hit the web today; a brand new 1-minute TV spot for the movie — now with its full title — was shared on Twitter and it includes a look at Tee as Shredder, as well as all those other CGI characters who, we have to admit, look pretty damn cool.
Stay tuned for our full write-up of the WonderCon panel, which featured co-stars Megan Fox and Stephen Amell, very soon.
What do you think of Armisen taking on the Kraangly duties? Let us know in the comments below!
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Image: Paramount Pictures
Kyle Anderson is the Weekend Editor and a film and TV critic for Nerdist.com. Follow him on Twitter!
