Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman was on hand at San Diego Comic-Con this year as part of the promotion surrounding Konami’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection. IGN caught up with Eastman and asked about the next animated incarnation of the team headed up by Seth Rogen.
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Calling himself a fan of Rogen’s work, Eastman said he was excited about the director’s vision but didn’t want to get in the way of the creative process.
“I don’t want him to feel intimidated or think that if he asks me a question, I tell him, ‘Well, you should do this,’ that he should do that. It’s his vision and his idea,” explained Eastman. “And I think that’s, what’s personally exciting to me and I think that’s what’s going to be exciting for the fans when they finally see the movie.”
Eastman said he’d loved almost every incarnation of his creation, even if he’s had creative differences a few times over. For Rogen’s upcoming work, he’s excited that Seth is emphasizing the teenage aspect of the team, which may have faded to the background in other versions.
Rogen’s as-of-yet untitled TMNT film, which Nickelodeon first discussed in February at Viacom CBS Investor Day, hits in 2023 and precedes a series of films focused on the team’s rogue’s gallery. All of these films will premiere on Paramount+, with Rogen’s project and the villain-themed spin-offs existing side by side but narratively unrelated.
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As for Eastman, he’s still very much involved in the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles output. He’s currently hard at work at The Last Ronin with fellow TMNT co-creator Peter Laird. Described as a Dark Knight-esque story for the Turtles, it covers the team’s last days in a grim and gritty manner.
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