Credit: Marvel Studios/NetflixDaredevil: Born Again (2024) could break more than the Multiverse…
The multiverse concept has opened many doors for franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and soon, the DC Universe, with The Flash (2023) set to “break the universe” later this week. But where will studios draw the line? And should they?
The multiverse has allowed these franchises to canonize previously-non-canon films and television shows. In the case of the MCU, it’s entries such as the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man films and the X-Men films, and for the DCU, the Tim Burton-directed Batman films.
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But is there scope for franchises like the MCU and the DCU to reach beyond Marvel and DC? Look at the world of comic books, for example — they’re always bending the rules, crossing over with franchises they otherwise have nothing to do with.
It was recently announced that a Wolverine vs. Predator comic book series is in the works, but there’s one set of superheroes — neither Marvel nor DC — who are well-known for overlapping with other properties.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has enjoyed enormous success all on its own over the decades, which has afforded the franchise many opportunities to invite other IPs into its own universe, or visit another one entirely.
The long-running IDW comic book series has seen the half-shell-heroes’ world collide with that of Ghostbusters and many more, and now, there’s even a “TMNT x Stranger Things” (2023) comic book-crossover in the works, which hits shelves this July.
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But where else might the Ninja Turtles find themselves in the future?
Recently, at the Fan Expo Dallas, Marvel star Charlie Cox, best known for playing Matt Murdock/Daredevil in the hit show Daredevil (2015), along with Vincent D’Onofrio, who plays Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, fielded some interesting questions.
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As per CinemaBlend, Cox was asked which “Daredevil” comic book storylines he’d like to see brought to life in live action, with reference, of course, to the upcoming Marvel series, Daredevil: Born Again.
Surprisingly, or perhaps not so much, Cox name-dropped Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Here’s what he said:
“So you can’t really answer that. Can I tell you why? Because every time you answer that question so publicly, it then becomes a news story, and then as soon as it becomes a news story, you can’t do it. So I’m really hesitant to do that. What will never happen, which would be really cool — I can say this — it’d be really cool if the Ninja Turtles showed up in Daredevil.”
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While Marvel doesn’t own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in any way, shape, or form, many fans of either TMNT or Daredevil, or both, will know that the two franchises share a very interesting history in comic books.
It’s well-documented that the original “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” comic books took inspiration from the “Daredevil” comics, with the likes of Splinter and the Foot being parallels of Stick and the Hand. Even the Ninja Turtles’ signature weapons can be found throughout “Daredevil”.
“So I didn’t know this until a couple years ago, but apparently, the creators of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were big Daredevil fans of the comic”, Cox went on to say. “And so in Daredevil, the toxic spillage that blinded Matt Murdock in his origin story, it then went into the sewers, and it created the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Which is why in Daredevil, we have Stick, and then the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, they have Splinter. And then there’s the Hand and the Foot. Anyway, I like that. I love that stuff. It’s pretty cool.”
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Whether or not this will ever happen remains to be seen, but never say never. After all, the Ninja Turtles have already teamed up with Bruce Wayne/Batman in the 2019 animated film Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019), which is based on the collaborative IDW/DC comic book series.
The Ninja Turtles are also no stranger to R-rated content, with the ongoing comic book series “The Last Ronin” (2020) returning the franchise to its gritty roots.
Production on Daredevil: Born Again has been suspended due to the ongoing writers strike, so there’s currently no new release date. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) hits theaters on August 2, 2023.
Were you aware of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles‘ connection to Daredevil? Would you like to see a crossover between TMNT and Daredevil: Born Again? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!