Summary
Shredder’s expanded role is highly anticipated, and Seth Rogen and Co. may cast a well-known actor for the part.
Considering Shredder’s origin story, it could be time for the Master of the Foot Clan to be voiced by a Japanese actor, adding authenticity to the character.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is getting a sequel, and the inclusion of Shredder has already got fans wondering who will be cast as the turtles’ arch-nemesis. Many actors have voiced The Shredder over the years, from the late great James Avery in the classic ’80s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cartoon to Scott Rayow (aka Scottie Ray) in a later version in 2003, and Kevin Michael Richardson in the longest-running iteration of it recently from 2012-2017. Who voices Shredder may depend on his origin story, and considering Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Modern Mayhem’s character changes, this could affect the casting decision.Of all the characters who didn’t have significant roles in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Mutant Mayhem, Shredder’s has been the most highly anticipated to expand. Though he only received a few seconds of screen time at the end of the movie, it was enough to generate hype surrounding the major franchise villain, so Seth Rogen and Co. may select a well-known actor to fill the role. And, since Shredder’s origin story often depicts him as a Japanese ninja warrior, it might be high time that the Master of the Foot Clan actually is voiced by a Japanese actor.
10 Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson certainly has the nostalgia vote. From 2012 to 2017, he voiced Shredder in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 2013, and 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze. With his longstanding roots in the franchise, as well as his deep, commanding voice, he’s followed James Avery as the most well-remembered performer connected to Shredder since the original ’80s cartoon.
9 Ken Watanabe
Ken Watanabe is a prolific Japanese actor most known to Western audiences as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in Letters from Iwo Jima as well as Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu in The Last Samurai, the latter of which garnered him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. No stranger to sci-fi and genre roles, he’s starred in everything from Godzilla (2014) to The Creator (2023). He hasn’t done a lot of voice work, but his low, rumbling cadence combined with his history of playing samurai characters makes him perfect for the Master of the Foot Clan.
8 Peter Serafinowicz
While he might not be a widely identifiable star, Peter Serafinowicz certainly has a recognizable face and voice, and he’s been in some pretty big franchises. The actor has appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy as well as starred as the titular big blue superhero in The Tick. As far as voice work is concerned, Serafinowicz famously provided Darth Maul’s dubbed voice in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, providing the perfect menacing purr to accompany Maul’s prowling physicality, so what’s good enough for a Sith Lord should be good enough for The Shredder.
7 Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is an accomplished actor, producer, and martial artist who achieved cult status as the evil sorcerer in the ’90s Mortal Kombat movie as well as the franchise’s subsequent television series and video games. Often typecast as villains ever since his big break in The Last Emperor and in the James Bond movie Licence to Kill, the Japanese-American performer nevertheless has made a name for himself in a wide range of roles, including the popular Tekken franchise. Shang Tsung playing The Shredder would be every ’90s fans’ dream come true.
6 Diedrich Bader
Diedrich Bader is a comedic actor known for starring in shows like Space Force and The Drew Carey Show and comedies like Office Space and Napoleon Dynamite. His timing and ability to greatly lower his voice gave him a second career as a gifted voice actor, where he’s known for playing Batman in Batman: The Brave and the Bold as well as The Harley Quinn Show. Bader hasn’t just played the Caped Crusader, though, and his work in Moon Knight, as Hoss Delgado in Grim and Evil, and as Zeta of The Zeta Project all prove that he can parley his distinct gravely baritone into Shredder if given the chance.
5 Will Arnett
Will Arnett is currently the co-host of the Smartless podcast alongside his Arrested Development alum Jason Bateman and fellow actor Shawn Hayes. Other than comedies like Arrested Development and 30 Rock, Arnett’s voice acting talents include portraying the titular character in the wildly popular BoJack Horseman and as the Dark Knight in The LEGO Batman Movie. He also appeared in the 2014 live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as April’s (Megan Fox) lovestruck cameraman, so providing the voice of Shredder would be a fun Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Easter egg for fans.
4 Hiroyuki Sanada
A prominent actor and martial artist in Japan, Hiroyuki Sanada has found recognition in the United States for roles in The Last Samurai, Bullet Train, Wolverine, and in Keanu Reeves’ films like 47 Ronin and John Wick: Chapter 4 as the Manager of the Osaka Continental in its fictional criminal universe. He’ll be starring in the new Shogun series, but might be persuaded to enter the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle: Mutant Mayhem Universe if it means getting the chance to play Shredder authentically. No doubt he would imbue the villain with the complexity and dignity of his other warrior characters.
3 Brian Tee
Brian Tee is a Japanese-American actor who’s recognized for appearing in the cast of Chicago Med and in the Fast and the Furious franchise. He received accolades from the TMNT community when he appeared in the sequel to the 2014 live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. His Shredder teamed up with Baxter Stockman, Bebop, Rocksteady, and Krang, so he’d be ready for whatever interesting ideas Rogen and the gang have for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2.
2 Keith David
He’s been in everything from The Thing to Pitch Black, but when it comes to voice acting and having an intimidating voice, Keith David is the voice actor’s voice actor. He’s been Goliath in the Gargoyles animated series as well as the titular character in the adult-oriented Spawn series on Max, and dozens of others in between. David played Sal Commander, G’Throkka, on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from 2012 to 2017 opposite Keith Michael Richardson’s Shredder, but it’s time for him to take over the role with his rumbling baritone.
1 Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy is often known to mumble through his lines with a certain amount of aggressive menace in everything from The Revenant to Mad Max: Fury Road, and even when he’s putting on an unusual voice for Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, his strength and malevolence comes through the quirky creative choice. Lately, Tom Hardy has been providing narration for Netflix documentaries like Predators, and listening to his measured deep cadence, it’s not hard to imagine him taking on the role of Oroku Saki in a sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
