When it was announced that Tyler Perry would fill the role of Baxter Stockman, some fans were curious about the casting decision. At the time, we remarked that he definitely looked the part just based on what we had seen from pictures on the set. Still, it seemed odd that someone known for both starring in and directing his own comedy films would be interested in a role like this. Recently, Perry was questioned about his role in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, and his response should explain everything.

“I saw the last one and I thought, ‘I want to be a part of this.’ I also wanted to give my son, who just turned 1, a different idea of what an actor is, and not just me playing Madea. He’s too young to see Gone Girl, so he’ll be able to see the Ninja Turtles, and then maybe I’ll do something else for him.”

It’s a fairly noble cause, to be sure. As a father, he wants to show his son something new and different from his chosen career in film. How better to relate to your son than by taking part in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie? Perry went on to explain that he did a lot of research for the role, which will definitely be nice to hear if you’re a fan of the franchise. Given the strange history of the character, it’s pretty important to have an informed concept of how to play the role of Baxter Stockman.

“For Ninja Turtles, like Star Trek or Star Wars, you’ve got to know what’s going on there, so I had to go back and do some research.”

Yes, Tyler Perry just compared TMNT to Star Trek or Star Wars – and why shouldn’t he? Our heroes in a half shell have become almost as popular as some of the most notable science fiction franchises in history, and it’s arguably important for anybody entering the world of that franchise to understand its popularity. With that in mind, I think that Perry’s words on the subject reveal that he fully intends to give fans a respectable interpretation of the character, and I’m sure we’ve got an awesome performance to look forward to in Out of the Shadows.

As for whether or not he will be turning into a fly during the events of the film, Perry stated that he was not playing a CGI character. There’s no telling whether or not this will change, or if he will be mutated into a fly in the next film, but the interviewer did get the sense that this might be the case. Take from that what you will, but for now it’s just cool to know that we’re probably going to get a pretty good interpretation of Baxter Stockman as a scientist in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.