TMNT Original April O’Neil Actor Would’ve Returned for R-Rated THE LAST RONIN, Calls Out Execs for Shelving It
There was a moment when it looked like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were finally going full dark on the big screen. An R-rated adaptation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin was officially in the works at Paramount, and now we’ve learned it almost brought back a familiar face from the franchise’s live-action roots.
One of the original stars says she was ready to suit up again, and she’s clearly not thrilled the project got shelved.
Published by IDW between 2020 and 2022, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin told a brutal, emotional story set in a bleak future. Only one turtle remains, carrying the weight of his brothers’ deaths as he hunts down the grandson of the Shredder for revenge.
The five-issue miniseries was written by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz, based on a story originally conceived by Eastman and Peter Laird. It became both a critical and commercial hit, strong enough to spin off a larger shared universe fans now call the Roninverse.
Paramount seemed to recognize that potential. In April 2024, the studio announced an R-rated live-action adaptation with Tyler Burton Smith writing the screenplay and Ilya Naishuller in talks to direct. For longtime fans who grew up on the darker edge of the 1990 film, it was a natural evolution for the franchise.
Then in November 2025, the rug got pulled out. The project was put on hold as Paramount shifted focus toward a more family-friendly TMNT reboot.
Now Judith Hoag, who played April O’Neil in the original 1990 live-action movie, has revealed that she was in talks to return for The Last Ronin before it was scrapped. Speaking at Big Lick Comic-Con in Roanoke, VA, she shared:
“Yes, I’ve been approached, and I’d be happy. It would be a great bookend for me. And maybe that happens and maybe it doesn’t. We’ll see.”
For fans of the 1990 classic, that’s a pretty cool what-if. Hoag was the only actress to play April in the original film before the role was recast with Paige Turco for 1991’s The Secret of the Ooze and 1993’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.
Bringing her back for a darker, more mature story would’ve made The Last Ronin feel like a legacy sequel tied directly to the film that launched the live-action franchise.
Hoag also praised the comic, calling it “a wonderful story,” and suggested that the decision-makers might be out of touch with what fans actually want. She said the executives who pulled the plug “need to go to a comic con and spend some time with the fans” to fully understand the TMNT franchise.
The Last Ronin proved there’s an audience for a more mature take on the Turtles. The comic embraced grief, aging, and revenge in a way we’ve never seen in a TMNT movie. An R-rated adaptation with original cast connections could’ve been something truly special.
For now, fans are left wondering what might’ve been. The live-action future of the franchise is once again in flux, but the Turtles aren’t going anywhere. Up next is the sequel to the animated hit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which is set to hit theaters on September 17, 2027.
Still, the idea of Judith Hoag returning as April O’Neil in a gritty, R-rated Last Ronin film? That would’ve been one hell of a thing. Maybe someday the studio will reconsider.
Via: Collider