Original ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Voice Actors Reprise Roles for Honda Ad

In hopes of catering to an incredibly specific demographic of adults who previously watched the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series and are now old enough to purchase cars, Honda has tapped the voices from that cartoon to reprise their roles for a new commercial. Check out the commercial above to hear Cam Clarke as Leonardo, Barry Gordon as Donatello, Rob Paulsen as Raphael, Townsend Coleman as Michelangelo, and Peter Renaday as Splinter.

The angle of the commercial features the turtles asking the viewer if they remember how excited they were to receive their action figures as kids, a feeling which could be replicated by purchasing a Honda. In that regard, the commercial is clearly aiming to cater to a very specific niche of viewers who tuned in to this specific animated series, delivering an effective trip down memory lane for audiences.

The characters originally debuted in the pages of comic books from Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in 1984 before earning themselves the kid-friendly animated series in 1987. The popularity of the characters led to multiple feature films, the first of which premiered to much success in 1990.

Prior to their animated series, the characters were depicted in black and white, with the animated series giving the characters their signature colored masks, which made it easier for kids to identify their favorite characters.

In the decades since their debut, the turtles have earned multiple animated series, the most recent of which, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, debuted in September.

The brand-new series “reimagines the iconic series and breathes new life into the classic characters, with jagged-shelled Raphael as a snapping turtle, wielding twin tonfas as his weapons; Leonardo as a red-eared slider, using an ōdachi sword; Donatello as a soft-shell turtle, sporting a tech-bo staff; and Michelangelo as a box turtle, arming himself with a kusari-fundo. Along for the adventure is the Turtles’ most trusted ally, April O’Neil, a street-savvy native New Yorker, and Splinter, father figure and sensei to the Turtles.”

The new series has amassed immaculate voice talent, with Omar Miller (Ballers) as Raphael, Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation) as Leonardo, Josh Brener (Silicon Valley) as Donatello, Brandon Mychal Smith (You’re The Worst) as Michelangelo, Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries) as April O’Neil, and Eric Bauza (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) as Splinter. WWE Superstar John Cena voices the villain Baron Draxum, “an alchemist warrior mutant who seeks to turn all of humanity into mutants.”

It is currently unclear if Honda will be releasing an officially licensed Turtle Van.

What do you think about hearing the actors reprise their roles? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T YouTube, Honda]