The first trailer for the second Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie hit this morning and with it we got our first look at two of the fan favorite bad guys, the mutated rhino and warthog Rocksteady and Bebop. While the trailer gives us a decent at look at both characters post-mutation, we only get the briefest glimpse of the men before they become beasts. However, the marketing machine hasn’t forgotten them. The two gang members are a couple of wanted criminals, and they have wanted posters to prove it.
Bebop looks so much like his original animated counterpart it’s a little scary. He’s got the purple mohawk, which really is key. They even gave him the sunglasses that no human being can possibly see through. It’s one thing to give those to a cartoon character, it’s quite another to expect an actual person to act while wearing them. Posted on the Twitter account of the man who will play the role, Gary A. Williams, we see that Bebop is wanted for things like grand theft, and general mayhem. Bebop will eventually transform into a walking warthog. His partner, however, is something, and someone, else entirely.
While Rocksteady doesn’t look nearly as much like his original animated version, this is because he looks significantly more badass. He’s played by Stephen Farrelly, better known to the rest of the world as the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Sheamus. Sheamus, the character, is well known for going slightly crazy with the hair styles and his movie counterpart is no exception. This beard is an epic thing to behold. We know it wouldn’t look good on a giant Rhino, but it’s still a shame it goes away.
While the Ninja Turtles themselves started life on the pages of a comic book, the characters of Rocksteady and Bebop were actually original creations for the first animated series from the late 1980’s. More characters meant more toys to sell, you see. The origins of these two characters appears to mirror their cartoon versions fairly closely. The Shredder is in need of minions to turn into something capable of fighting the turtles, and he finds these two knuckleheads.
The last Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie was reviewed terribly, but that did not stop it from being a box office hit. With additions to the cast like Sheamus, and Arrow star Stephen Amell, maybe they can elevate the sequel to something better than the original. Is there any hope?
