New ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Prequel Confirmed, Releases This Summer
Paramount’s plans for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin (2020) have shifted significantly over the past year, with the previously planned R-rated live-action adaptation no longer moving forward in its original form.
In its place, the studio is developing an as-yet-untitled family-friendly CG/live-action hybrid reboot, currently scheduled for release in November, 2028.
But despite that change, The Last Ronin remains one of the most successful and influential TMNT stories in recent years, with IDW Publishing continuing to expand its darker, future-set timeline across multiple comic book releases.
That expansion shows no signs of slowing down. Alongside reports of a “AAA” video game still in development, TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman—who co-wrote The Last Ronin with Tom Waltz—indicated in an interview with Entertainment Weekly earlier this year that a film adaptation still might happen in the future.
We’re also getting a novelized version of the original comic this June, further cementing the story’s place within the wider franchise.
The next major addition to this ongoing “Ronin-verse” is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin — Training Day (2026), a newly announced one-shot comic from IDW, with cover art now revealed. According to details shared by NickAlive!, the story is set between issues #3 and #4 of The Last Ronin and follows Michelangelo during a 24-hour period as he trains Casey Marie Jones, the daughter of April O’Neil and Casey Jones.
The comic continues the narrative threads established in The Last Ronin, Lost Years, Lost Day, and The Last Ronin II — Re-Evolution, further building out the dystopian future timeline centered on the last surviving Turtle.
Related: ‘TMNT’ Movie Confirms Legacy Characters Who Will Likely Be Portrayed as Female | Disney Dining
While The Last Ronin continues to evolve in publishing and gaming, Paramount is also pushing forward with a broader slate of TMNT content.
Mutant Mayhem 2 (2027) is in development following the success of the 2023 film. We’re also getting a YouTube series, Teeny Mutant Ninja Turtles, later this year, books aimed at young readers, and a VR game titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City in April.
Beyond the screen, Paramount is launching TMNT-themed pizzerias in Santa Monica, Monterrey, Mexico, and São Paulo, Brazil, later this year.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin — Training Day is scheduled for release on July 9, 2026. Pre-orders are now available.
Are you a fan of The Last Ronin? Are you disappointed the film was canceled? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
