Michael Bay continues his explosive assault on children's cartoons with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie he's producing. But Bay's most recent statement has folks wondering, are his mutant turtles not actually mutants?

Bay gave a presentation at the Nickelodeon Upfront, hyping up the movie, which is due out Christmas 2013, when he made this puzzling statement:

When you see this movie, kids will believe one day that these turtles do exist, when we're done with this movie. These turtles are from an alien race, and they are going to be tough, edgy, funny and completely loveable.

Now it's entirely possible that Bay misspoke, and what he meant is that the turtles seem like aliens. But that phrase "alien race" is a troubling one. Is it possible that Bay really intends to make a mutant-free TMNT film? And does that mean no ooze?

[Stuff We Like via Bleeding Cool]