Fans recently backlashed at the new Tinker Bell in ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ because of her skin color, and now the controversy has shifted to another character as ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ April O’Neil has a new design.
Known as “Ninja Turtles” in Spanish, since the late 1980s they have been part of popular culture and with cartoons, video games, series and “live action” films they have received many adaptations.
But with the trailer for his new animated film “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” criticism and commentary focused on the reimagining of reporter April O’Neil as a black woman.
April O’Neil from ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ changed race?
From the famous cartoon series “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (1987–1996) the character of April O’Neil is known by most fans as a white, red-haired girl.
In most of her incarnations, this design was maintained, including her live-action appearances with Judith Hoag and Paige Turco in the 1990s, as well as Megan Fox (who you can watch “Passion Play” for free on ViX) in 2014 and 2016.
However, for the new 2023 movie, the turtles’ friend is a young African-American woman and is voiced by comedian Ayo Edebiri.
April O’Neil’s apparent race change has surprised and divided many fans, with some saying it’s another instance of it contradicting the source material like “Velma,” the adult spin-off of “Scooby-Doo.”
Although others celebrated it and pointed out that in reality April O’Neil when she debuted in the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” comics in the 80s was not a redhead and a white woman.
Fans Controversy Over April O’Neil’s Design In ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’
In the same way that many African-American girls reacted to the trailer for “The Little Mermaid” and felt identified, many fans showed their acceptance of April O’Neil being black on the networks.
Even those in favor of his new look have pointed out that comics co-creator Kevin Eastman based the character’s original design on his ex-girlfriend April Fisher, who was a mixed-race woman of color.
Even so, the debate on social networks has been intense, and there are other fans who blame the new version as another case of changing a famous character who is known to be red-haired and white.
They have even attacked the idea that the original April from the comics was black, because just like the creator’s ex-girlfriend, the character can be seen (in some color covers) with Asian features and light brown skin.
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” opens in theaters on August 4, 2023 and features the voices of Nicolas Cantu (Leonardo), Micah Abbey (Donatello), Shamon Brown Jr. (Michelangelo) and Brady Noon (Raphael). .
In addition to the participation of Jackie Chan (Splinter), Seth Rogen (Bebop), John Cena (Rocksteady), Ice Cube (Superfly), Paul Rudd (Mondo Gecko) and Giancarlo Esposito (Baxter Stockman).
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Source: univision
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
