We’ve seen several actresses play Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles heroine April O’Neil in live-action, but for many fans, there’s no topping Judith Hoag, who played April in the beloved 1990 film. Now Hoag reveals that she almost had the chance to reprise the role in the now-canceled TMNT: The Last Ronin movie.
Collider reports that Hoag revealed as much during a recent panel at Big Lick Comic-Con in Roanoke, VA. Hoag told attendees that she had been approached to return for the movie, which would have taken a darker, R-rated approach to the Turtles franchise.
“Yes, I’ve been approached, and I’d be happy,” Hoag said during the panel. “It would be a great bookend for me. And maybe that happens and maybe it doesn’t. We’ll see.”
This seemingly confirms that TMNT: The Last Ronin would have served as a direct sequel to the 1990 movie, rubber suits and all. For those not familiar, The Last Ronin presents an alternate, Dark Knight Returns-style future for the TMNT universe where only one of the four Turtles is still alive and waging a guerrilla war against the grandson of Shredder. The comic proved extremely successful for IDW Publishing, so far spawning two sequels spotlighting a new generation of Turtles. A video game adaptation is also in development.
Unfortunately, Paramount recently opted to veer in a different, more family-friendly direction with the TMNT franchise, looking to the Sonic the Hedgehog movies as inspiration. The studio is currently developing a new live-action reboot alongside the animated sequel TMNT: Mutant Mayhem 2, the latter of which is slated for release in 2027.
Still, as Hoag suggests above, the Last Ronin movie could still rise from the grave in the future. Do you want to see her reprise the April O’Neil role? Do you like the idea of a dark, R-rated sequel to the 1990 film? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
For mroe on the future of the Last Ronin franchise, check out IGN’s breakdown of the tragic ending to TMNT: The Last Ronin II.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
