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In a strange career move that might have more to do with Amell’s desire to be up on the big screen in a memorable heroic role (since the Warner Bros execs do not plan on using him as the Green Arrow of their cinematic ‘Justice League‘ films), ‘Arrow’ star Stephen Amell has been tapped to play the somewhat heroic, definitely unhinged, Casey Jones character in the sequel to ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.’ Apparently over half a dozen actors tested for the role recently, and Amell won the part after the filmmakers saw his chemistry with Megan Fox, who will be returning to the character April O’Neil for the sequel.

The last man to fill the live-action shoes of Casey Jones was Elias Koteas, who played the looney anti-hero back in the 1990 New Line ‘Ninja Turtles movie. Since then, Jones has become a fan favorite of the franchise, a solo hero who the turtles befriend and come to trust when needed, who also works as a love interest for April. And the fact that he wears the terrifying hockey mask and wields an assortment of sports equipment that he wears on his back in a golf bag doesn’t hurt matters either, there’s nothing quite as bad-ass as a masked guy beating down bag guys with a baseball bat or a hockey stick. How the filmmakers plan on bringing him to life in this new incarnation is unknown, though based on the flashbacks in ‘Arrow,’ I really hope they don’t try to give Amell a long haired wig, as that look looks very dopey on him.

‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2’ is being produced by Michael Bay, along with his Platinum Dunes partners in crime Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, and the film will be directed by David Green. The only other casting news at this point is that Will Arnett will be returning alongside Fox. And for anyone asking why the middling film was instantly greenlit for a sequel, the first film was one of Paramount’s top earners last summer, earning $191 million domestrically, a success so great that Paramount greenlit the sequel for 2016 without a director or contracts for a returning cast.

Source: Variety