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TMNT: The Last Ronin Is Getting a God of War-Like Video Game Adaptation


Everyone's favorite heroes-in-a-half-shell are about to make a shell-shocking comeback in the world of gaming...

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Related: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Almost Got R-Rated Reboot With Joe Manganiello

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles might have enjoyed their heyday way back in the late '80s and early '90s, but even four decades on, their popularity shows absolutely no sign of waning.

Whether it's movie theaters with the trailer for the upcoming Mutant Mayhem having recently dropped and another live-action reboot in the works, video games with the likes of last year's Shredder's Revenge being a proven success, or the ongoing comic books, which, since 2011, have fallen under IDW Publishing, the Ninja Turtles continue occupying almost every form of media and with plenty of success.

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Related: TMNT: Mutant Mayhem's Portrayal of April O'Neil Sparks Online Backlash

If you're familiar with the IDW Comics, then you'll know all about "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin" (2020), which first hit shelves back in 2020. The five-part miniseries follows lone Ninja Turtle Michelangelo as he tries to survive a dystopian futuristic New York City. However, long gone are his three brothers, as well as his father Master Splinter.

"The Last Ronin" follows Michelangelo as he vows to exact vengeance upon the man responsible - the son of the Turtles' long-dead arch nemesis Master Shredder - who now also rules New York with an iron fist and an arsenal of hi-tech weaponry and artificially intelligent Foot Soldiers at his disposal. With the help of April O'Neil, her daughter Casey Marie, and a bastion of rebels, Mikey sets out on a one-way mission to defeat his new enemy.

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Related: Is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Canon With the Other Movies?

Well, you'll be thrilled to know that Polygon has reported that a brand-new video game based on the popular comic book series is now in the works. In an interview with Doug Rosen, Senior Vice President for Games, and Emerging Media at Paramount Global, Rosen revealed that the "AAA"/"Triple-A" game (the gaming industry's equivalent to a blockbuster film) will be heavily inspired by the God of War gaming titles.

The Last Ronin video game will, of course, be adapted straight from the comic book series, and as such, will focus only on Michelangelo. however, Rosen did also say that the other three Ninja Turtles, Raphael, Leonardo, and Donatello, who only appear in "The Last Ronin" in flashbacks, could also show up as playable characters in the game to some extent.

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Related: Seth Rogen's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Reboot Gets New Release Date

Rosen also confirmed that the game is intended for an adult audience, saying that there are opportunities for TMNT to be targeted to both young audiences and adult audiences in the gaming world, and that The Last Ronin would not be "dialled back to make the game something it shouldn't be".

Unfortunately, the game is "a few years" from release, but Rosen said that there would be more news on the project in the coming months and years. Nevertheless, this is music to our ears, and it opens up a world of possibility for a dark version of TMNT in film too.

"The Last Ronin" comic book series now continues with a prequel series titled "The Lost Years" (2023). TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman also recently confirmed in an interview that "The Last Ronin 2" is also in development. So, what started out as a five-issue miniseries appears to be expanding exponentially. Could a movie adaptation be next? Here's to hoping. But for now, we'll have to make do with the upcoming family-friendly animated film from producer Seth Rogen, which still looks Turtle-y awesome.

Check out the new trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem below:

Related: Full Cast List and Teaser Revealed For Seth Rogen's Ninja Turtles Reboot

Mutant Mayhem follows Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993), TMNT (2007), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016).

As per Wikipedia, here's the plot for the film:

After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtles set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. 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.

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Related: Where to Watch and Stream Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III Free Online

It stars Nicolas Cantu (Leonardo), Micah Abbey (Donatello), Shamon Brown Jr. (Michelangelo), Brady Noon (Raphael), Jackie Chan (Splinter), Ayo Edebiri (April O'Neil), Seth Rogen (Bebop), John Cena (Rocksteady), Hannibal Buress (Genghis Frog), Rose Byrne (Leatherhead), Ice Cube (Superfly), Post Malone (Ray Fillet), Paul Rudd (Mondo Gecko), Maya Rudolph (Cynthia Utrom), Natasia Demetriou (Wingnut), and Giancarlo Esposito (Baxter Stockman).

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) will be released in theaters on August 4, 2023.

Related: Paramount Confirms SEVERAL New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movies!

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