Why did they change so much of the cast between TMNT and TMNT II:Secret of the Ooze?

*CyberCubed* · 05-31-2026, 09:15 AM

I never really thought about it much till I watched the 4k TMNT boxsets late last year. Of course everyone knows April was replaced from Judith Hoag to Paige Turco, but that wasn't all.

1. April was replaced as everyone knows.

2. Casey Jones did not return in the second movie as we all know

3. Donatello and Raphael were recasted voice wise, only Leonardo and Michelangelo's voice actors played their characters in all 3 movies. This doesn't bother me much, I liked all 3 live-action Raphael voices, but I always wondered why Raph had a different actor every movie. He sounded similar enough between all 3 movies that as a kid I never noticed.

4. Shredder's actor was also replaced, which I never knew about for years because a lot of Asians tend to look alike and he was wearing his helmet for both movies. James Saito played Shredder in Movie 1, and François Chau played him in TMNT II before his mutation. I never knew Shredder was recast for years, and the Foot member saying, "His face" when he returned made it seem like he was scarred from the garbage truck.

I mean yeah they got rid of Steve Barron the director, but when you stop to realize it half the cast from the first movie did not return. It's probably a miracle Tatsu's actor was asked to come back because they could have replaced him too but they kept him around. And oddly enough Chief Sterns returned of all characters. Keno got to play a role outside a TMNT suit which was nice. But yeah half the cast from the first movie was replaced.

*Andrew NDB* · 05-31-2026, 01:42 PM

Some of it may have been availability. They had no idea TMNT 1 was going to be a hit and when it was, TMNT II was practically shooting a couple months later. Some of it may have also been "we don't want to get pigeon holed into doing sequels and/or TMNT forever." When a lot of those careers were just starting out.

Doesn't explain replacing voices, though. Casey, we know was wrapped up in the studio kowtowing to parents groups about the violence and associating the character with that, despite Kevin and Peter "begging" the studio to include him. Which has always seemed weird to me. Why were they begging? Just tell them no movie unless he's in it. They had full veto power.

d_osborn · 05-31-2026, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Why were they begging? Just tell them no movie unless he's in it. They had full veto power.

I've wondered the exact same thing. Same with 3.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

2. Casey Jones did not return in the second movie as we all know

Casey was in the first draft script, with the subtitle "The Shellquel".

SFMG · 05-31-2026, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d_osborn

Casey was in the first draft script, with the subtitle "The Shellquel".

Is there a readable version of this online? Couldn’t find anything from a brief search.

*CyberCubed* · 05-31-2026, 06:30 PM

I imagine Keno's role would have been Casey's then in the original script? Keno is kind of redundant with Casey around. So maybe Casey would be the one to infiltrate the Foot HQ's with Raph instead of Keno. They'd have to re-write or drop the whole pizza boy delivery stuff from the beginning though, as well as Keno meeting the Turtles for the first time in April's apartment. Those scenes were pretty funny but they wouldn't work with Casey already knowing them.

*Andrew NDB* · 05-31-2026, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I imagine Keno's role would have been Casey's then in the original script? Keno is kind of redundant with Casey around. So maybe Casey would be the one to infiltrate the Foot HQ's with Raph instead of Keno.

Probably, heavily rewritten for Keno. And while Casey infiltrating the Foot wouldn't make much sense with him showing his face to the whole clan in the first movie I wouldn't put it past the caliber of writing involved to do that anyway. Obviously the pizza boy stuff was added for Keno unless that was intended for laughs with Casey. "hahah... he has to deliver pizzas now" or whatever.

Although Laird talking about he was sending the studio 20 page treatments as some last ditch effort to get Casey in there sort of implies he never was.

d_osborn · 06-01-2026, 06:09 AM

The first draft unfortunately isn't online and I don't have a hard copy. I'm trying to remember where Langen mentioned it, maybe an older magazine. I'll try to locate the source. The first draft had a more "save the environment" message apparently.

I wouldn't look to the final version to try to guess how the first draft played out. For example, Casey was taken by the Foot instead of Splinter in the Herbeck first draft of 1990.

I have a ton of notes from Laird on Secret of the Ooze, but it's all from the shooting script and dailies. Nothing from early on. Here is Peter's initial reaction to Paige Turco's first footage.

*CyberCubed* · 06-01-2026, 11:20 AM

Interesting how he favored Judith, but Paige's April was also very tough as seen as the movie progresses. She stands up to Chief Sterns, yells at Keno, "WHO has got them?" when Raph gets captured, and basically has a lot of sarcastic moments with the Turtles when they're trying to find a new place to live and messing up her apartment.

I do sometimes imagine what Judith Hoag would have been like given the same exact script and lines April always had in TMNT II, but I think it would have been fairly similar.

*sdp* · 06-01-2026, 11:39 AM

I don't think it's that deep. They likely wanted a younger person so that it could appeal to kids more. I don't think the complaints from mothers was likely a big factor, more of an excuse. Had they really wanted to, they would've had Casey Jones regardless.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Why were they begging? Just tell them no movie unless he's in it. They had full veto power.

This was at the height of the TMNT popularity, perhaps they just didn't want to mess too much in a world they didn't understand. They had just become rich after all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I do sometimes imagine what Judith Hoag would have been like given the same exact script and lines April always had in TMNT II, but I think it would have been fairly similar.

It'd also be just as interesting to see Paige Turco in TMNT 1.

*IMJ* · 06-02-2026, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdp

This was at the height of the TMNT popularity, perhaps they just didn't want to mess too much in a world they didn't understand. They had just become rich after all.

I think so too - that and those guys hit real paydirt at that point. They weren't going to freeze a studio production over casting. Just voice their opinion and then say "okay, I'm in".

d_osborn · 06-06-2026, 11:05 AM

I don't think they had any real say over casting, just story. From what I understand, once they signed off on a story treatment, the project was out of their hands.

05-31-2026, 09:15 AM	#1
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43,691	Why did they change so much of the cast between TMNT and TMNT II:Secret of the Ooze? I never really thought about it much till I watched the 4k TMNT boxsets late last year. Of course everyone knows April was replaced from Judith Hoag to Paige Turco, but that wasn't all. 1. April was replaced as everyone knows. 2. Casey Jones did not return in the second movie as we all know 3. Donatello and Raphael were recasted voice wise, only Leonardo and Michelangelo's voice actors played their characters in all 3 movies. This doesn't bother me much, I liked all 3 live-action Raphael voices, but I always wondered why Raph had a different actor every movie. He sounded similar enough between all 3 movies that as a kid I never noticed. 4. Shredder's actor was also replaced, which I never knew about for years because a lot of Asians tend to look alike and he was wearing his helmet for both movies. James Saito played Shredder in Movie 1, and François Chau played him in TMNT II before his mutation. I never knew Shredder was recast for years, and the Foot member saying, "His face" when he returned made it seem like he was scarred from the garbage truck. I mean yeah they got rid of Steve Barron the director, but when you stop to realize it half the cast from the first movie did not return. It's probably a miracle Tatsu's actor was asked to come back because they could have replaced him too but they kept him around. And oddly enough Chief Sterns returned of all characters. Keno got to play a role outside a TMNT suit which was nice. But yeah half the cast from the first movie was replaced.

05-31-2026, 01:42 PM	#2
Andrew NDB Weed Whacker Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Auburn, WA Posts: 34,236	Some of it may have been availability. They had no idea TMNT 1 was going to be a hit and when it was, TMNT II was practically shooting a couple months later. Some of it may have also been "we don't want to get pigeon holed into doing sequels and/or TMNT forever." When a lot of those careers were just starting out. Doesn't explain replacing voices, though. Casey, we know was wrapped up in the studio kowtowing to parents groups about the violence and associating the character with that, despite Kevin and Peter "begging" the studio to include him. Which has always seemed weird to me. Why were they begging? Just tell them no movie unless he's in it. They had full veto power.

05-31-2026, 06:30 PM	#5
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43,691	I imagine Keno's role would have been Casey's then in the original script? Keno is kind of redundant with Casey around. So maybe Casey would be the one to infiltrate the Foot HQ's with Raph instead of Keno. They'd have to re-write or drop the whole pizza boy delivery stuff from the beginning though, as well as Keno meeting the Turtles for the first time in April's apartment. Those scenes were pretty funny but they wouldn't work with Casey already knowing them.

06-01-2026, 06:09 AM	#7
d_osborn Mad Scientist Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 1,418	The first draft unfortunately isn't online and I don't have a hard copy. I'm trying to remember where Langen mentioned it, maybe an older magazine. I'll try to locate the source. The first draft had a more "save the environment" message apparently. I wouldn't look to the final version to try to guess how the first draft played out. For example, Casey was taken by the Foot instead of Splinter in the Herbeck first draft of 1990. I have a ton of notes from Laird on Secret of the Ooze, but it's all from the shooting script and dailies. Nothing from early on. Here is Peter's initial reaction to Paige Turco's first footage.

06-01-2026, 11:20 AM	#8
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43,691	Interesting how he favored Judith, but Paige's April was also very tough as seen as the movie progresses. She stands up to Chief Sterns, yells at Keno, "WHO has got them?" when Raph gets captured, and basically has a lot of sarcastic moments with the Turtles when they're trying to find a new place to live and messing up her apartment. I do sometimes imagine what Judith Hoag would have been like given the same exact script and lines April always had in TMNT II, but I think it would have been fairly similar.

06-06-2026, 11:05 AM	#11
d_osborn Mad Scientist Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 1,418	I don't think they had any real say over casting, just story. From what I understand, once they signed off on a story treatment, the project was out of their hands.