Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – Ice Cube Calls Superfly “Most Gorgeous Creature Ever”

This article is presented by Paramount Pictures.

The Ninja Turtles aren’t the only mutants in New York City. (The film is called Mutant Mayhem, after all.) Superfly is the leader of a group of mutants that have experienced firsthand what human beings think of their kind… And he isn’t happy about it. He’s so unhappy that, if humans are never going to accept mutants, Mutants will rule the Earth. This of course will put him in conflict with the Turtles, who have very different feelings about human beings. Superfly also appears to be a fan of rap music, with him directly referencing Ice-T’s “6 in the Mornin’.”

Ice Cube needs little introduction. His contributions to rap music are legendary, both on his own and as a member of N.W.A, and his involvement in Mutant Mayhem continues the tradition of rap music’s close ties with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. As an actor he’s starred in Boyz n the Hood, the Barbershop series, the Friday series, 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, the Are We There Yet film and TV franchise, and much more.

Den of Geek: How would you describe Superfly?

Ice Cube: Superfly is the most gorgeous creature ever known to man. I mean, as a mutant, he’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.

Superfly is an original character for this iteration of the Ninja Turtles. Can you explain how he is created in the film?

Superfly is created through an experiment. His father is one of the most brilliant men ever. So he was experimenting, it went a little wrong; the police had to rush him, and it got a little mishandled. I don’t want to give too much away, but Superfly was born from that mishandling.

Were you excited when you got the call for this, and they explained to you that you were going to be playing an original character?

The franchise has been around as long as I can remember, it seems like. So to be a part of it in any way, shape, or form, I knew it was a cool opportunity. I knew with Seth Rogen [on board] that it would have some edge to it. It would be clever, fun, and fresh. I was really excited to be able to play a supervillain. Who doesn’t want to play that in a movie?

What do you think of the animation style?

I think the illustrations, the animation, and the flavor of the movie are just as exciting as the story. It’s fresh. It looks amazing. We’ve seen so many animated films by now, so to see somebody take it even further and give you something even fresher than what we’ve seen already…. The style, to see the way they used lights and colors. That’s what I’m here for.

How were the voice sessions different from others you’ve done in your career?

It was really about: do what you feel, and we’ll get the lines down, but we really want you to ad-lib and have personality and not just stick strictly to the script. I think that lets you loosen up. They don’t discourage anything. I think when you’re doing a voiceover, you have to show not only the director, not only the producer, but you’ve got to show the audience why they hired you.

What can you tell us about Superfly’s crew of mutants?

At the end of the day, they all want to be liked, you know what I mean? They just want friends. They want it so bad they’ve gotten bitter. Usually, with a movie like this, when you have a second wave of characters coming in, they can get lost in the sauce. But here everybody made a great impression.

If Superfly could have his pick of what borough of New York City to live in, where would he live?

Superfly is either a Bronx guy or a Brooklyn guy, you know what I mean.

What did you think of Jackie Chan as Splinter in the film?

He’s the heart of the movie. I just wanted to hear him talk; to hear him give his philosophies on how things should be. It was perfect casting, and he brought the heart to the movie.

What do you have in common with Superfly?

He’s a cool supervillain, and I’m a cool supervillain. He’s somebody that, when you get to know him, he’s probably a party animal, and you could hang out with him. I’m the same way. I think we’ve got a lot in common.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem hits theaters on Aug. 2.

*This interview is courtesy of EPK.