The end of 2023’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem teases the introduction of the iconic villain Shredder into the world of Mutant Mayhem. According to the film’s director, the sequel may be about him.
Speaking to Collider, screenwriter and director Jeff Rowe acknowledged that there’s high expectations when it comes to getting a character like Shredder right. Rowe went on to mention that he’s a character akin to the Joker, and that they would want to do a “villain-forward” film with him.
When it comes to a sequel to Mutant Mayhem, Rowe said the team behind the film are thinking of how to best accomplish it, and that decisions are still being made.
“That is exactly what I am trying to figure out and what my next meeting will be about. That is what we are in the thick of now,” said Rowe. “Shredder is just a great character. He’s an iconic, classic, loved character. He’s like the Joker. You know who he is, even if you’re not a fan of the source material. I think we definitely wanna do a villain-forward film. We’re currently trying to make decisions about that, but those decisions for us as filmmakers are always going to come from the place of what tells the best story, specifically about our main characters, the Turtles.”
What was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem about?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem features the voices of Micah Abbey as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. as Michaelangelo, Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, and Brady Noon as Raphael. Joining them is a star-studded supporting cast which includes Hannibal Buress as Genghis Frog, Rose Byrne as Leatherhead, John Cena as Rocksteady, Jackie Chan as Splinter, Ice Cube as Superfly, Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut, Ayo Edebiri as April O’Neil, Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman, Post Malone as Ray Fillet, Seth Rogen as Bebop, Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko, and Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom.
“After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts,” reads the official synopsis for the film. “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.”
The film is directed by Jeff Rowe and Kyle Spears from a screenplay Rowe co-wrote with Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit. It is produced by Rogen, Goldberg, and James Weaver, with Ramsay McBean and Josh Fagen executive producing.
