Credit: Paramount Animation / Nickelodeon Movies40 years after it first emerged from the sewers, the ever-popular TMNT franchise is about to expand in ways we never thought possible.
Last year, the 3D-animated movie reboot Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) grossed $180.5M worldwide (on a budget of $70M) and impressed critics and moviegoers alike, all the while creating yet another generation of TMNT fans.
But Mutant Mayhem isn’t the only slice of action the franchise is seeing lately.
TMNT comic book publishers IDW is now busy releasing a new wave of stories, while its very own “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin” (2020 — present), an alternate universe tale unrelated to its main ongoing series, has blown up in popularity.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that “The Last Ronin”, which is currently on its third series, is getting a live-action R-rated movie adaptation.
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However, just like the “Ronin-Verse”, which so far only consists of graphic novels but will soon welcome a new movie and a video game, Mutant Mayhem also continues to mutate into something much bigger, as a brand-new cinematic universe is officially underway.
Not only are we getting the video game sequel “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed” (2024) and a theatrical movie sequel (set for 2026), the follow-up series Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2024) is now heading for Paramount+.
Related: R-Rated TMNT Reboot Will Be a Legacy Sequel to Original 1990 Film
Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which will be the fifth animated series in the wider TMNT franchise, picks up after the events of the 2023 film to find the titular half-shell heroes dealing with life in high school all the while battling a new enemy.
However, unlike its theatrical counterpart, the series will be 2D-animated, meaning the “Mutant Mayhem-Verse” has dropped the 3D animation altogether (at least until the upcoming game and the second movie are out).
Several cast members from the film have returned for the 12-episode series, including Nicolas Cantu (Leonardo), Brady Noon (Raphael), Shamon Brown Jr. (Michelangelo), Micah Abbey (Donatello), and Ayo Edebiri (April O’Neil).
Now, another trailer for the upcoming series has arrived. Check it out below, per Paramount+:
After 37 years’ worth of successful animated shows, the new series is a guaranteed hit. But what will be interesting to see is how the new Mutant Mayhem cinematic universe will compare against The Last Ronin cinematic universe when it finally arrives (let’s face it — there are probably already plans for sequels and spinoffs).
In terms of tone and audience, Mutant Mayhem and The Last Ronin occupy polar-opposite ends of the TMNT franchise. While we’ve had plenty of gritty Ninja Turtles outings in the past — namely in the form of comic books and the original 1990 film — The Last Ronin will definitely break new ground for the IP, so it remains to be seen if the franchise can attract younger audiences and the diehard fans at the same time.
Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will stream on Paramount+ on August 9. Mutant Mayhem 2 will be released in theaters on October 9, 2026.
There’s no release date for The Last Ronin movie or the video game.
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