‘TMNT Mutant Mayhem 2’ Director Promises Shredder in Villain-Forward Sequel

The Big Picture

• The screenwriter and director of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Jeff Rowe, is currently focusing on how to bring a fresh take to the iconic villain, Shredder, in the sequel.
• Rowe understands the challenge of meeting fan expectations while also delivering something new, drawing a parallel to how the Joker has been depicted in various ways to maintain interest.
• The sequel aims to be “villain-forward” and may present the Shredder in ways never seen before, suggesting an innovative approach to the character. Paramount’s confidence in the story is evident as the sequel was confirmed before the first movie premiered.

Coming up with sequels is a tough job for screenwriters and directors because you need to find a balance between giving fans what they’ve already seen and liked while also elevating the story and bringing something new into the mix. With Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, there will be the extra element of bringing the most popular villain of the franchise, Shredder, to the big screen. In an interview with Collider’s Mike Thomas, screenwriter and director Jeff Rowe revealed that this is exactly the stage they are in right now.

The thing with high-profile villains like the Shredder is that there is a certain level of expectation that comes with their presence, but also fans don’t want to see the same old thing. So, it makes perfect sense that Rowe and his team will spend quite a bit of time taking a hard look at the character and seeing what they can do with it that will feel fresh like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem did, as he told Collider:

“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. 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.”

Will ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Go ‘Dark Knight?’

Rowe’s mention of the Joker perfectly illustrates the situation. The Joker is the ultimate superhero villain, one of the most famous in the world. But also, he’s been depicted so many times that DC fans are simply tired of seeing the same thing – that’s why unique takes like Heath Ledger’s unhinged version in The Dark Knight became the ultimate Joker, and then Joaquin Phoenix’s became equally popular because he subverted it.

For Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rowe and his team have the chance to do something similar with the Shredder. Considering that the filmmaker mentioned a “villain-forward” sequel, they might be gearing up to present the Shredder to us in ways we’ve never seen before. The sequel was confirmed even before the first movie premiered in theaters, which shows that Paramount is confident in the story that Rowe, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg want to tell.

You can stream Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem on Paramount+ in the U.S. Look for more from our interview with Jeff Rowe soon.

Watch on Paramount+