'Daredevil x Ninja Turtles' Talks Return, 39 Years After First Comic Book Crossover

A Daredevil x Ninja Turtles just became even more likely.

It’s no mystery that the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics pay homage to Daredevil in many ways, from iconic weapons to characters’ names. Given their shared history, it’s a surprise we haven’t seen a crossover between these franchises, especially when you consider how many others TMNT has crossed paths with over the years, from Ghostbusters to Stranger Things and Power Rangers to Street Fighter. Even Batman, while we’re on the subject of brutal vigilantes.

However, in a recent exclusive interview with Screen Rant, while discussing his work on recent issues of IDW Publishing’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2011), comic book artist Gavin Smith shared his hopes for a crossover between Daredevil and the Ninja Turtles.

Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock AKA Daredevil — Credit: Marvel Studios / Netflix

Here’s what Smith said in the interview:

“I would like to do a project that I write and draw. As far as crossovers I’d like to see, that we’d all like to see, I think that’s obvious. We all want to see the Daredevil crossover! Actually, I’ll put that out there as a dream project I’d like to draw.”

A collaboration between Daredevil and Ninja Turtles, which would likely get the title Daredevil x Ninja Turtles, makes perfect sense, not only because of their existing relationship, but also due to their gritty origins. Many forget that TMNT was dark, gritty, and grungy while under Mirage Comics in the ’80s.

While those adult tones have been diluted over the years, thanks to the animated shows and the toy lines (which can’t be faulted for launching the brand into pop culture phenomena), they can still be found in the pages of IDW Publishing’s comic books.

The Turtles in their van in 'Mutant Mayhem' — Credit: Nickelodeon Movies / Paramount Pictures

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin (2020) is the best example. With a dose of that Mirage Comics grit, the ongoing series gives fans an alternate take on the TMNT, killing off familiar characters and plunging readers into a dark and dystopian future.

Talks of Daredevil x Ninja Turtles are nothing new. Earlier this year, while discussing the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again (TBA), Matt Murdock/Daredevil actor Charlie Cox told CinemaBlend that he’d love to see Daredevil and the Ninja Turtles team up in the live-action Marvel series, saying:

“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.”

TMNT fans have been dying to see a live-action version of the Ninja Turtles that’s akin to the original comics, and a gritty show like Daredevil (2015 — 2018) would have been a great place to host their return.

'TMNT: The Last Ronin' cover art — Credit: IDW Publishing

Cox went on to explain how he’d only recently learned that the histories of Daredevil and Ninja Turtles are intertwined:

“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. 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.”

Cox is absolutely right. Splinter’s name is a nod to Stick, the Foot is a play on the Hand, and even the mysterious toxic chemical that transforms four normal baby turtles into anthropomorphic mutants is the very same one that blinded Matt Murdock as a young boy.

Charlie Cox as Daredevil in 'She-Hulk: Attorney at Law' — Credit: Marvel Studios

In Mirage Comics’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (1984), Splinter recounts how he came into contact with the radioactive compound that would later transform him into a humanoid rat. During the flashback, a passer-by referred to as “a young man” is also exposed to the chemical. This is, in fact, Matt Murdock, although he hasn’t appeared in TMNT since.

It’s unlikely we’ll see Daredevil and the Ninja Turtles join forces in live action — after all, the pizza-munching, sewer-dwelling reptiles aren’t owned by Marvel, while IDW doesn’t hold the publishing rights to Daredevil. But we can’t rule out this happening in the comic books, where almost anything is possible.

TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman also told Screen Rant he’d love to see the Daredevil and Ninja Turtles crossover happen, so it may only be a matter of time.

There’s no release date for Daredevil: Born Again.

Would you like to see Daredevil x Ninja Turtles? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!