Credit: Nickelodeon Movies / Paramount PicturesThere’s a lot of new TMNT content that touches all corners of the franchise on the horizon. IDW Publishing’s comic books continue to roll out; a miniseries aimed at younger viewers is heading to YouTube; we’re getting a novel adaptation and a video game adaptation of IDW’s hugely popular series, The Last Ronin; and two theatrical films are also in development.
There are even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed pizzerias set to open in Santa Monica, Monterrey, Mexico, and São Paulo, Brazil, later this year.
TMNT Is Back, Thanks to Mutant Mayhem
TMNT is well and truly back on the map. While the franchise’s popularity hasn’t really waned all that much since its mainstream debut with the classic 1987 Saturday morning cartoon series, it has enjoyed a couple of very brief hiatuses over the decades.
But since Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was released in theaters in 2023, the franchise has been on an upward trend with waves of new merch, comics, and video games. And now it feels like it’s enjoying its second heyday — even if this one doesn’t hold a candle to the “Turtle-Mania” craze that dominated pop culture in the late ’80s to mid ’90s.
Related: All the ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Movies Ranked Worst To Best
What Are the Two Ninja Turtles Movies?
While fans are excited to see TMNT continue to be a leading franchise with its upcoming content and themed experiences, most attention is turned toward the two films.
One is an untitled CG/live-action reboot that was announced by Paramount Pictures alongside news it had shelved the planned, R-rated live-action movie adaptation of The Last Ronin. That movie is currently scheduled for release on November 17, 2028.
The other is a sequel to 2023’s 3D animated reboot, Mutant Mayhem, which grossed $180.5 million worldwide against its $70 million budget and received positive reviews from audiences and critics.
Mutant Mayhem Continuity Has Already Continued
Directed by Jeff Rowe, the 2023 film is an origin story that follows four brothers Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), Raphael (Brady Noon), and Donatello (Micah Abbey) as they emerge from their home in the New York sewers to stop a mutant-led crimewave on the surface led by Superfly (Ice Cube).
Now, a new film is in development and is currently set for release on August 13, 2027 (following more than one rescheduling), with Rowe back in the director’s chair and producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg also back onboard.
The film has continued away from the big screen with the 2D animated companion series, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2024-2025). However, that series was canceled last year after just two seasons. Last December, we also got a short Mutant Mayhem film titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Chrome Alone 2 – Lost in New Jersey, which released with Paramount’s feature-length movie, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants.
What’s Mutant Mayhem 2 About?
While plot details for Mutant Mayhem 2 are being kept under wraps, the director has confirmed that the Turtles’ nemesis The Shredder will appear in the film alongside Krang.
However, it’s possible that the sequel will come with a few major twists where its characters are concerned, especially given how the first film changed a few well-established mutant villains from male to female, including Leatherhead and Wingnut. Mutant Mayhem 2 could even potentially feature a female Turtle — one who already exists elsewhere in the franchise.
Many fans don’t even realize that there are more Ninja Turtles than just the four brothers. Putting the likes of the next-gen TMNT Odyn, Yi, Moja, and Uno from The Last Ronin aside (two of whom are female), there are two other such half-shell heroes: Venus de Milo from the live-action television series Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (1997) and Jennika.
Who Is Jennika in TMNT?
Often dubbed “The Fifth Turtle,” Jennika, a former Foot Soldier who became a Turtle following a mutagen transfusion that saved her life (administered by Leonardo), was introduced in IDW’s ongoing mainline comic book run before headlining her own spin-offs (Jennika and Jennika II), and most recently with the Nightwatcher comics.
She has also since appeared in the classic 1987-style continuity in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures comic series, also by IDW.
She’s the Franchise’s Only LGBTQ+ Character
Jennika sports a yellow bandana and her signature weapon are a set of metal claws similar to The Shredder’s, which, in addition to the fact she’s a former-human, sets her apart from Leo, Mikey, Raph, and Donnie. She’s also the franchise’s first (and so far only) LGBTQ+ character, following the revelation in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #93 that she’s bisexual.
These traits would make her a strong addition to Mutant Mayhem‘s ensemble.
Whether or not a fifth Turtle will be introduced in an already packed sequel, though, remains to be seen. However, while the 2023 film certainly has its problems, you can’t deny how it defied expectations; not only with its character changes, but also with its ending, which actually saw the Ninja Turtles emerge from the sewers to go to high school in the city.
Mutant Mayhem also stars Jackie Chan (Splinter), Ayo Edebiri (April O’Neil), Seth Rogen (Bebop), John Cena (Rocksteady), Hannibal Buress (Genghis Frog), Post Malone (Ray Fillet), Paul Rudd (Mondo Gecko), Giancarlo Esposito (Baxter Stockman), Rose Byrne (Leatherhead), Maya Rudolph (Cynthia Utrom), and Natasia Demetriou (Wingnut).
The new film releases in theaters on August 13, 2027.
Do you think Mutant Mayhem 2 should introduce Jennika into film canon? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
