Over the long history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, some characters have become inextricable to the lore. Fans wouldn’t accept a Turtles property without April or Shredder, even though they’re radically different in almost every appearance. Some characters aren’t quite as important, but they show up often and make the franchise a bit more exciting. Look at Leatherhead, a mutant alligator whose been around since the beginning.
The upcoming animated filmTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhemis set to bring the ever-evolving franchise back to its glory days. By deliberately evoking the 80s cartoon and reviving underrated minor figures,Mutant Mayhemis prepared to elevate old material for the new era.
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Leatherhead is a massive mutant alligator who evokes the classic sewer gator urban legend. He towers over most mutants in the series, he may be the most intimidating character in most versions of the franchise. Like alot ofNinja Turtlecharacters, he was once a normal animal. Leatherhead was exposed to the iconic ooze, immediately transforming him into an intelligent bipedal beast. He’s usually an ally of the Turtles, opposing the Foot Clan and the Utrom aliens. In the rare case that he’s a villain, he’s a brute that can’t be easily defeated. Leatherhead hasn’t appeared in a TMNT property in around half of a decade, but he’s been part of it from the beginning.
Leatherhead was created by Ryan Brown in 1988 for the original Mirage Comics series. As a young gator, he escaped a pet store during a robbery and found his way into a sewer. He was discovered by some Utroms in the guise of human scientists, who exposed him to mutagen. Sometime later, the Ninja Turtles bested the Utroms in combat, forcing them to retreat and destroy their home. This left Leatherhead to retreat to the sewer. While there, he was consistently bothered by Mr. Marlin, a big-game hunter, who also regularlytangled with the Turtles. Eventually, the hunter had the misfortune to be caught between the two, resulting in a substantial loss. Later clashes between Marlin and Leatherhead cost the hunter two of his limbs. After working with the Turtles, they give him their old sewer lair to live in.
Leatherhead isan ally to the Turtlesin the original comics and both the 2003 and 2012 cartoon series. In the original 1987 continuity, however, he’s a hostile antagonist. This Leatherhead is a Cajun trapper who morphed from the area of the Everglades that created the Punk Frogs. He becomes a frequent member of the show’s rogues gallery, often appearing to set traps and attack the Turtles. He pops up in four episodes, usually as the muscle of the villain team. The bad guys of theNinja Turtlesrarely get along, and he’s no exception. This version of Leatherhead is a complete departure from all the other ones, but he’s the one that became famous in the early days.
The big obvious change that Leatherhead will be experiencing inhis big-screen debutcomes with his unusual casting. Leatherhead has always been characterized as male, but the character will be portrayed by Rose Byrne in the upcoming film. Byrne is well known for her work as Moira MacTaggert inX-Men: First Classand Renai Lambertin theInsidiousmovies. Leatherhead will evidently be gender-bent for her new appearance. Byrne is a stellar comedic actress, but it’s tough to imagine her voice coming out of the massive skulking reptile fans have become used to. Perhaps the character will undergo a design change, or perhaps Byrne has been hiding a more intimidating voice.
The limited plot details revealed aboutMutant Mayhemsuggest that the Turtles will be up against a variety of villainous mutants. Leatherhead is typically a friend of the team, but he’s been an enemy before.Many TMNT allies begantheir interaction with some static, so Leatherhead could still become an ally. Interestingly, it seems as if the film has assembled the entire cast of the Mutanimals, an auxiliary team that formed alongside the Turtles. With that in mind, the new Leatherhead could be a hero alongside her fellow mutants in upcoming entries.
Leatherhead is a healthy B-tier TMNT figure. They’re not as iconic as the Turtles, but they’re not as obscure as Cudley the Cowlick. The alligator has been one of the Turtles' most powerful allies and most relentless antagonists. Leatherhead hasbeen with the Turtlessince the early days, but there’s still a lot of fun to be had with the character. When someone mentions the idea of large turtles living in the sewer, the image of a powerful sewer gator immediately comes into the mind. Leatherhead brings that clever idea to life in the most engaging way possible.
