Shredder has been recast for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

I recall a moment, albiet a brief one, when I was cautiously optimistic about TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES; I wasn't expecting it to be some grand work of art but surely an entertaining romp with these characters I loved as a youth wouldn't be too much to ask would it? You can insert your own rant here, I'm too tired. While the film didn't end up doing anything for me it certainly has its share of fans, as demonstrated by its worldwide box-office gross of $485 million, so it was only natural that a sequel would be on the way.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 2 won't arrive without some changes however; Tohoru Masamune filled the ridiculously armored suit of Shredder in the first film, but now Variety has reported that he's been replaced by Brian Tee. Tee has appeared in several big-budget blockbusters including THE FAST & THE FURIOUS: TOYKO DRIFT, THE WOLVERINE, and the upcoming JURASSIC WORLD. The reasons for this recasting aren't quite clear, perhaps Shredder will more to do in the sequel, or Masamune had other commitments, or I suppose it's even possible that this new Shredder is a completely separate character from the one in TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES.

With Bebop, Rocksteady, and Baxter Stockman already on board, the TURTLES sequel is starting to look a tad bit overcrowded with potential villains. Has there ever been a time that worked? Not everything needs to be jam-packed, save a little something for the next film. TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 2 is set for a June 3, 2016 release.

One of Brian Tee's earliest roles was this brief one he shared with future Heroes star Masi Oka in AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER.