Fred Armisen is playing Krang in the new Ninja Turtles

By William Hughes | March 26, 2016 | 5:29pm

Aux Features Film

Sketch comedian, drummer, and occasional Smurf Fred Armisen is adding “screechy-voiced brain monster” to his already packed resume, with the announcement coming at last night’s WonderCon that the Portlandia star will be providing the voice for Krang in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows. The new film—set for a June 3 release—will see Michael Bay finally get to add those aliens he was jonesing for into the rebooted film franchise, as his terrapin heroes face off against what looks to be an interdimensional threat.

Although inspired by a race of aliens from the original TMNT comics, the character of Krang originated in the ’80s Turtles cartoon, where he was played by veteran voice actor Pat Fraley. Fraley once described the character’s voice as a mixture of James Cagney and a Jewish mother with indigestion; it’s currently unclear whether Armisen will be taking the character in a similarly gassy, gangstery direction.