Credit: Nickelodeon Movies / Paramount PicturesParamount is finding new ways to push Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
In June, the company opened the first official TMNT Pizzeria in Santa Monica, California. Alongside New York-style pies, the venue offers an immersive experience filled with references to the Ninja Turtles’ world, largely through the vibrant aesthetics of the classic 1987 cartoon series.
A live stage production is also in development to celebrate the 1987 cartoon’s 40th anniversary. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Live on Stage!, which combines martial arts, parkour, and hip-hop dance with the quartet’s battles against familiar villains, is expected to launch in fall 2027.
Related: Paramount Confirms Five R-Rated TMNT Projects, Two Coming This Year
The studio is also preparing two major movie projects: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2, scheduled for August 13, 2027, and an untitled live-action/CG animation hybrid set for November 17, 2028.
But while Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo remain at the core of those projects, as well as many others including games and animation, one increasingly prominent corner of the TMNT universe is about to abandon them altogether.
IDW’s darker corner of the franchise, the “Roninverse,” has gradually established a distinct identity of its own. The Last Ronin follows Michelangelo as the sole surviving member of his family, seeking vengeance after the deaths of Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello. Its success spawned follow-ups that introduced comic book readers to a new generation of Ninja Turtles: Odyn, Yi, Moja and Uno. The saga is due to conclude in summer 2027 with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin III – Return for New York.
TMNT Abandons the Original Ninja Turtles
As the original Last Ronin saga nears its conclusion, the Roninverse is set to reach beyond the four familiar heroes entirely.
Aside from recurring flashbacks throughout The Last Ronin and its follow-ups Lost Years and Re-Evolution, Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello have largely disappeared from this corner of the franchise. Michelangelo, meanwhile, has had a much more limited presence in recent years, most notably returning in this year’s one-shot The Last Ronin – Training Day.
Now, IDW is ready to explore yet another entirely different group of Ninja Turtles.
In October, TheWrap reported that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The First Ronin, a five-issue miniseries written by Stan Sakai with art by Soo Lee, will arrive in March 2027.
Set in 1600s Japan, it follows General Kameyama, a warrior aided by four humanoid turtle yōkai — supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore. These aren’t mutants, though, nor are they a new generation of Turtles. Instead, they’re another reinvention of the Ninja Turtle concept, taking the Roninverse further away from the characters who started it all.
Meanwhile, the original Last Ronin comic is being adapted into a video game. However, the planned R-rated live-action movie has been put on hold at Paramount.
What do you think of the franchise’s latest reinvention? Are you ready to see the Turtles leave their familiar roots behind? Let us know in the comments below!
