Credit: Paramount PicturesIconic news reporter April O’Neil might have her work cut out because it’s shaping up to be one “shell” of a year for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT).
It might not be all that surprising considering 2024 is their 40th anniversary, but we’re not even at the end of April and we’ve already had news of an R-rated live-action adaptation of the IDW Publishing comic book series TMNT: The Last Ronin (2020) and a theatrical sequel to last year’s box office hit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023), which grossed $180.5M against a $70M budget.
IDW Publishing has also renewed its licensing deal with Paramount Pictures to release more TMNT comic books, and meanwhile, several video games have been announced, which include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin (TBA) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed (2024), which also acts as a sequel to Mutant Mayhem.
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Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
This summer, another Mutant Mayhem sequel will arrive in the form of the Paramount+ series Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2024). However, it abandons the 3D-animated format of the box office hit, this time opting for 2D animation, making it the fourth cartoon in the franchise following the original 1987 show, the 2003 reboot, and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018 — 2020).
Picking up after the events of the film, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sees the return of the half-shell heroes, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello, with Nicolas Cantu, Brady Noon, Shamon Brown Jr., and Micah Abbey, respectively, reprising their roles from the 2023 film.
Check out the official trailer for the new series below, per Nicktoons:
Related: ‘Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ Full Characters and Cast Guide
But while there’s plenty of Turtle action in the trailer, we only see a glimpse of budding news reporter April O’Neil, who’s voiced by Ayo Edebiri in Mutant Mayhem. There has also been no confirmation on whether the Bear (2022) actress would be returning — until now, as a brand-new teaser for the upcoming series confirms that she’s finally back in action alongside her Mutant Mayhem castmates.
Check it out below, per The Old Turtle Den:
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April O’Neil in the TMNT Movies
Here’s to hoping Ayo Edebiri’s return doesn’t result in any backlash from fans. When the first trailer for Mutant Mayhem premiered, many took to X (formerly Twitter) to complain about April’s ethnicity, despite it being the second such portrayal of the character following the Nickelodeon animated series Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in which she’s voiced by Kat Graham.
In the TMNT movie franchise, Edebiri is the fifth actress to play April O’Neil (and the second to voice her in a theatrical animated movie), following Judith Hoag (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Paige Turco (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III), Sarah Michelle Gellar (the 3D-animated TMNT), and Megan Fox (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2014 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows).
When Mutant Mayhem 2 (2026) arrives in theaters, she’ll be the first to have played April O’Neil three times within a film series.
It remains to be seen who will play April O’Neil in TMNT: The Last Ronin movie.
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Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be available to stream on Paramount+ this summer. The video game sequel Mutants Unleashed will arrive towards the end of the year, and Mutant Mayhem 2 will be released in theaters on October 9, 2026.
The first Mutant Mayhem film is now available to watch on Paramount+.
Are you excited about the new TMNT series? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!