'Mutant Mayhem 2' Could Feature Four Brand-New Ninja Turtles

Mutant Mayhem 2 could feature characters from the widely popular comic book TMNT: The Last Ronin (2020).

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) is the latest reboot in the long-running TMNT franchise. Though there are six previous films, Mutant Mayhem starts its own continuity, which Nickelodeon plans on expanding with future projects.

One is the upcoming 2D animated series Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2024) set to premiere on Paramount+ next year. The other is the movie sequel that will pit Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello against their age-old nemesis, The Shredder.

The Ninja Turtles looking menacing on a rooftop in 'Mutant Mayhem' — Credit: Nickelodeon Movies / Paramount Pictures

News of this shared universe came as no surprise following the film’s success in theaters earlier this year, where it cut a big hot slice out of the global box office. Fans and critics were also impressed, with many calling it the best film in the series so far.

But if Nickelodeon is determined to develop this new continuity on the big screen and the small screen (there’s also a tie-in video game in the works), it’s possible the Mutant Mayhem-verse will also start crossing over with other TMNT iterations.

April O'Neil in 'TMNT: Mutant Mayhem' — Credit: Nickelodeon Movies / Paramount Pictures

TMNT is no stranger to the multiverse, meaning Mutant Mayhem 2 could see its own titular teenage turtles meet others from the wider franchise. Or it could introduce its own versions of some of those characters, particularly ones that are also popular. Enter The Last Ronin.

The Last Ronin is an ongoing critically acclaimed graphic novel series written by TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz. It finds lone Ninja Turtle Michelangelo living in a dystopian future where he embarks on a journey to avenge the deaths of his three brothers.

Odyn, Yi, Moja, and Uno in 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin - The Lost Years' characters - Odyn, Yi, Moja, and Uno — Credit: IDW Publishing

So far, it has enjoyed two series, with the third titled Re-Evolution hitting shelves from February, 2024. But The Last Ronin is now shifting its focus from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello, onto four new ones named Odyn, Yi, Moja, and Uno, who will officially take center stage in the third series.

Like Mutant Mayhem, The Last Ronin exists in its own timeline, but that doesn’t mean versions of these new characters can’t appear in Mutant Mayhem 2 or even the upcoming 2D animated series. Michelangelo himself might even appear, as Mutant Mayhem‘s Mikey actor Shamon Brown Jr. has already expressed an interest in playing The Last Ronin.

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

Though Nickelodeon is seemingly focusing on the Mutant Mayhem-verse, they’ll likely want to introduce some new blood (and mutagen) into the mix at some point. And what better way to do so than with four completely different Ninja Turtles.

These exciting new characters needn’t live exclusively in the future — the franchise is free to do with them as they please. That said, we’ll probably want to see more from them first before they’re snatched by another TMNT timeline, but then there might be no better place to fully popularize Odyn, Yi, Moja, and Uno within the fandom than Mutant Mayhem 2.

Check out the trailer for Mutant Mayhem below:

As per Wikipedia, here’s the official synopsis:

After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtles set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend, April O’Neil, helps them take on a notorious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

Mutant Mayhem stars Nicolas Cantu (Leonardo), Micah Abbey (Donatello), Shamon Brown Jr. (Michelangelo), Brady Noon (Raphael), Jackie Chan (Splinter), Ayo Edebiri (April O’Neil), Seth Rogen (Bebop), John Cena (Rocksteady), Hannibal Buress (Genghis Frog), Rose Byrne (Leatherhead), Ice Cube (Superfly), Post Malone (Ray Fillet), Paul Rudd (Mondo Gecko), Maya Rudolph (Cynthia Utrom), Natasia Demetriou (Wingnut), and Giancarlo Esposito (Baxter Stockman).

Mutant Mayhem is now available to watch at home. There’s no release date for the sequel.

Do you think the new Ninja Turtles will appear in Mutant Mayhem 2? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!