Should they have casted a hispanic or black April for the film?

[CyberCubed]

With Japanese Shredder being recasted as a 57 year old white man named Eric Sachs, do you think April should have been casted as a hispanic or black woman?

In the early Mirage comics April has some dark skin in some of the issues, especially Tales #7. This led to confusion in the fandom to thinking April was intended to be black in the early Mirage issues when they were just starting. I think Eastman had a black girlfriend named April at the time and that's where the inspiration came from? However PL always saw April as white or whatever.

What do you think? If we have a white Shredder, is the world ready for a hispanic or black April?

[The Stryker]

Alien April.

[BabyTurtles]

I don't care as long as she acts like April I'll be OKAY~

:3 though I do like April's red hair XD it grew on me.

[electric_sheep]

judging by set photos, April would never dress like that, she is girl next door kinda type. Yes she is hot but she doesn't exaggerates it, make no mistake Megan Fox will suck all the likability from the character...

[The Stryker]

Originally Posted by electric_sheep

judging by set photos, April would never dress like that, she is girl next door kinda type. Yes she is hot but she doesn't exaggerates it, make no mistake Megan Fox will suck all the likability from the character...

Oh yeah. April would never dress like that.

Just cleavage revealing jumpsuits and belly tops.

[BabyTurtles]

Originally Posted by The Stryker

Oh yeah. April would never dress like that.

Just cleavage revealing jumpsuits and belly tops.

XD heh heh

well 2012 April would never dress like that!!

[Powder]

Sure, why not? Considering it was vaguely implied in Mirage books, that makes it even better. It would suggest they did their homework a little bit.

[chrisdude]

I don't really care what race April is. But when I was pushed to choose my favorite pick to play the role, I did choose Zoe Saldana. There's no April moment from the past that I can't drop her into, and imagine her doing a great job. She may be too old, though.

[electric_sheep]

Originally Posted by The Stryker

Oh yeah. April would never dress like that.

Just cleavage revealing jumpsuits and belly tops.

it was the eighties we all did some crazy things, but every other incarnation...

[sgtfbomb]

I could care less. For one thing, changing April's race isn't one and the same as changing the Shredder's ethnicity. Shredder's heritage is part of his character. His character is from Japan. So I can see why casting William Fichtner has so many scratching their heads, and rightfully so. That is odd. The change itself also implies that his character's history will have significant changes. (Fichtner is a good actor, but ethnicity aside, I still can't see him as the Shredder.)

Changing April's ethnicity means very little to her character's history. Nothing significant, at least. April was white, now she's black. Oh well. As long as the role is played by a charismatic actress, with energy and spunk, who cares? Chrisdude even had a fantastic suggestion. (Hell, I wish they'd cast her over Megan Fox! She can act, she's likable, and, IMO, she's even better looking -- you know, for those who care only about eye candy.)

The only people who would have any issue with this would be the same pig-headed morons who couldn't get past the gender changes from the more recent Battlestar Galactica. Who cares what they think?

[The Stryker]

Originally Posted by electric_sheep

it was the eighties we all did some crazy things, but every other incarnation...

The 2k3 design.

[CyberCubed]

It was actually the 2k3 series that started her red-head debut design.

Ever since the 2k3 April, April had red hair in the 4th movie, the IDW comics and Nick cartoon.

Before that she used to always have brown hair like in the movies, OT and Archie.

[sgtfbomb]

April had red hair in the first live action movie.

[InsaneZane]

When it comes to changing races in comics/movies/ cartoons etc....
I think they've covered enough, maybe even too much

Kingpin, Perry White, Nick Fury, Heimdall, Alicia (from Fantastic Four), let's not forget our own Baxter Stockman (turned white) or Burne/Burnadette Thompson
Some are somewhat unacceptable (such as Baxter, Heimdall and some would say Perry White)
but Some of these are completely acceptable since they are exceptional cases: changes that build upon the characters' backstories (ex. Kingpin from The Bronx; Alicia with The Puppetmaster as her father...)

I didnt list Spiderman and Green Lantern because they are different people all together (Miles Morales and John Stewart)
This is the way that it should be I think, if people want to introduce more black people into comics, I think it's better to make them different people with different backstories, don't just change a character people are familiar with... because no matter how much you say or believe that it doesn't matter... people are still going to find reasons to b!tch about it. Especially with characters that involve a specific location in origin such as Heimdall and pretty much all the characters in "The Last Racebender"... I mean"Airbender" Heimdall comes from Norse Mythology hence Norway , blah, blah , blah... white people... And don't get me started with the" Last Travesty-bender" movie.
I mean can you imagine a black Clark Kent?
Thats just weird...
Now a Black Superman would be cool... but make him someone else
If we continue to change pre-existing characters black (or otherwise) There won't be any white people left.... (I guess some people would consider that a good thing lol)

It's the same case for introducing gay characters.. I mean yes people change sexuality preferences, but why change characters like Selina Kyle, Barbara Gordon and Alan Scott who've been established as straight for decades when you can just create new characters that are gay?
If you're going to change a character gay or black or something else... make it someone that doesn't have an established history.

Example.. Vernon Fenwick; We never see him with a girl, there was one time he tried to trick April into giving him mouth to mouth which was probably the straightest thing we've ever seen him do... But usually he has conceded remarks about himself, he even wears pink and sounds kind of gay when he talks. I could see them making him gay for the new movie, for that matter we don't know enough about his past to care if he stays white either.

So in conclusion, Changing races (or sexuality) in a fictional universe can be acceptable under the right circumstances as long as it brings something to said character...
Now April O'Neil.... I cant really think of anything that demands that she stay white other than the fact that People have probably started to change too many characters' races. (Well that and her easily recognizable red/brown hair) Let's be honest, if people saw a black April... most people wouldn't recognize her as April...
Most People: "Who the $#!+ is that?!?!"

April doesn't need to be black when they can just bring in Angel as a more dominant Turtles ally...I kinda feel like Angel is mixed or something, but she could be black and people wouldn't p!ss and moan and b!tch like they would over their precious barbie doll, April because of what I mentioned earlier:
Perfect example: April vs Angel, Angel's backstory benefits from her not being white; April's doesn't. Angel isn't as much of an iconic character hence people wouldn't care about the racial change... unlike April.
Plus they already changed Burne black and into a female... so more than 1 character being changed is just too much (unless They're aiming for making a Tyler Perry's TMNT)(did I actually just say that? God help us)

As far as Shredder being white is concerned....I agree they shouldve cast a Japanese man,(for the record, I think that's almost as bad as the racebending in "Airbender" and I HATE that he's called Eric Sachs; I'm trying to be optimistic about that being an alias or something) but I'm pretty sure that still doent apply since he looked and talked white in the OT (which is odd since James Avery AND Kevin Michael Richardson are black people)
Anyway he wears a mask most of the time and he doesnt look Japanese... and the new movie is loosely based off of the OT.

[RaphAndDonnie]

Originally Posted by sgtfbomb

I could care less. For one thing, changing April's race isn't one and the same as changing the Shredder's ethnicity. Shredder's heritage is part of his character. His character is from Japan. So I can see why casting William Fichtner has so many scratching their heads, and rightfully so. That is odd. The change itself also implies that his character's history will have significant changes. (Fichtner is a good actor, but ethnicity aside, I still can't see him as the Shredder.)

Changing April's ethnicity means very little to her character's history. Nothing significant, at least. April was white, now she's black. Oh well. As long as the role is played by a charismatic actress, with energy and spunk, who cares?

You took the words right out of my mouth. If April were Hispanic or black in, well any other incarnation, I would just grumble about it and move on. Its different when a character's ethnicity comes onto play with their motives, their back story and their life, as such with the case of the Shredder.

[BabyTurtles]

yea what InsaneZane said XD

I can take Angel if I wanted a hispanic or black character :3

but changing April just to appeal to certain people doesn't seem right...

[Andrew NDB]

I believe it's time for a transgendered April O'Neil.

[Welmanshire]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

I believe it's time for a transgendered April O'Neil.

A Thai ladyboy, perhaps? Hell, why not get the ape from Dunstin Checks in to play her?

[chrisdude]

Originally Posted by InsaneZane

Spoiler:

When it comes to changing races in comics/movies/ cartoons etc....
I think they've covered enough, maybe even too much

Kingpin, Perry White, Nick Fury, Heimdall, Alicia (from Fantastic Four), let's not forget our own Baxter Stockman (turned white) or Burne/Burnadette Thompson
Some are somewhat unacceptable (such as Baxter, Heimdall and some would say Perry White)
but Some of these are completely acceptable since they are exceptional cases: changes that build upon the characters' backstories (ex. Kingpin from The Bronx; Alicia with The Puppetmaster as her father...)

I didnt list Spiderman and Green Lantern because they are different people all together (Miles Morales and John Stewart)
This is the way that it should be I think, if people want to introduce more black people into comics, I think it's better to make them different people with different backstories, don't just change a character people are familiar with... because no matter how much you say or believe that it doesn't matter... people are still going to find reasons to b!tch about it. Especially with characters that involve a specific location in origin such as Heimdall and pretty much all the characters in "The Last Racebender"... I mean"Airbender" Heimdall comes from Norse Mythology hence Norway , blah, blah , blah... white people... And don't get me started with the" Last Travesty-bender" movie.
I mean can you imagine a black Clark Kent?
Thats just weird...
Now a Black Superman would be cool... but make him someone else
If we continue to change pre-existing characters black (or otherwise) There won't be any white people left.... (I guess some people would consider that a good thing lol)

It's the same case for introducing gay characters.. I mean yes people change sexuality preferences, but why change characters like Selina Kyle, Barbara Gordon and Alan Scott who've been established as straight for decades when you can just create new characters that are gay?
If you're going to change a character gay or black or something else... make it someone that doesn't have an established history.

Example.. Vernon Fenwick; We never see him with a girl, there was one time he tried to trick April into giving him mouth to mouth which was probably the straightest thing we've ever seen him do... But usually he has conceded remarks about himself, he even wears pink and sounds kind of gay when he talks. I could see them making him gay for the new movie, for that matter we don't know enough about his past to care if he stays white either.

So in conclusion, Changing races (or sexuality) in a fictional universe can be acceptable under the right circumstances as long as it brings something to said character...
Now April O'Neil.... I cant really think of anything that demands that she stay white other than the fact that People have probably started to change too many characters' races. (Well that and her easily recognizable red/brown hair) Let's be honest, if people saw a black April... most people wouldn't recognize her as April...
Most People: "Who the $#!+ is that?!?!"

April doesn't need to be black when they can just bring in Angel as a more dominant Turtles ally...I kinda feel like Angel is mixed or something, but she could be black and people wouldn't p!ss and moan and b!tch like they would over their precious barbie doll, April because of what I mentioned earlier:
Perfect example: April vs Angel, Angel's backstory benefits from her not being white; April's doesn't. Angel isn't as much of an iconic character hence people wouldn't care about the racial change... unlike April.
Plus they already changed Burne black and into a female... so more than 1 character being changed is just too much (unless They're aiming for making a Tyler Perry's TMNT)(did I actually just say that? God help us)

As far as Shredder being white is concerned....I agree they shouldve cast a Japanese man,(for the record, I think that's almost as bad as the racebending in "Airbender" and I HATE that he's called Eric Sachs; I'm trying to be optimistic about that being an alias or something) but I'm pretty sure that still doent apply since he looked and talked white in the OT (which is odd since James Avery AND Kevin Michael Richardson are black people)
Anyway he wears a mask most of the time and he doesnt look Japanese... and the new movie is loosely based off of the OT.

Most of the time, it makes no difference at all, and very few people are bothered. The fact of the matter is, the main cast of characters in most of the biggest comic book franchises were created decades and decades ago, and the casts were often entirely white. Today, to members of minority races, and all-white cast sticks out like a sore thumb, and those movies are ignored. As shocking as it's been for my white friends to hear, black people really do notice, even from a trailer or television commercial, "Wow. That movie has no significant black characters." It's like walking into a party when you're the only person of your ethnicity. Those casts don't represent what America looks like, and it hurts the marketability of a film. So these changes are going to continue.

I guarantee you, Burne, or some other black character we don't know about yet, will make her way into the TMNT trailer.

[PApagreg]

As long it is not Megan Fox