For many, the live-actionTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfilms of the ’90s are still the best iteration of the heroes on the big screen. Thanks to thestate-of-the-art animatronic costumescreated by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, the three films in the trilogy delivered a realism that CGI simply can’t match (sorry,Michael Bay). The “man in a rubber suit” aspect of the costumes only worked in the films' favor, adding a comic element to the action on screen that fits the tone perfectly. While the first film was successful, the two sequels couldn’t quite match up, withTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IIIeffectively ending the era on a low note. Had its fortunes been more favorable, however, there were plans for a fourth film in the franchise:Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: The Foot Walks Again.
There were reportedlytwoconcepts for a fourth film. The first was an idea from TMNT creatorsKevin EastmanandPeter Laird, one that involved the turtles and Splinter mutating even further. TitledTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: The Next Mutation, these mutations would give Donatello telekinetic abilities (but take his eyesight), and Leonardo would get impenetrable skin. Michelangelo would have been able to turn into a human, Raphael would become raptor-like, and Splinter a “super rat.” While some concept art exists, there’s little else known about it as it didn’t progress much beyond that initial stage.
‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: The Foot Walks Again’ Would Have Brought Back Characters From the First Three Films
It would beTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: The Foot Walks Againthat progressed further along. The title alone makes it clear that the film would feature the villainous Foot Clan, long-time adversaries of the Turtles. Leading the Foot Clan would be Super Shredder, last seen inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Oozeas played byKevin Nash. Also returning would be Casey Jones (Elias Koteas), the hockey-masked vigilante and friend of the Turtles, and the ever-present April O’Neil, played byJudith Hoagin the first film and byPaige Turcoin the sequels. However, both characters would have seen changes in the fourth film. Casey Jones would have had electric power, somehow, while April would have somehow switched allegiances and become Evil April, possibly as a result of the infamous ooze. These changes would suggest that the film, as rumored, would have been far darker and grittier than the previous installments, taking the franchise in a less kid-friendly direction.
New additions to the franchise would have been introduced, including a fifth turtle. The fifth turtle,Kirby(named after famed comic book artistJack Kirby), would largely eschew the goofiness of the original four, being a far more serious and hardcore member. Other newbies to the franchise we know of, thanks toadditional concept art, would be characters named Fang, Kasey, Talbot, Bugman, Spyder, and Nano Spyder. The last two are likely one and the same, with Nano Spyder an upgrade to the original in order to face the Turtle’s new abilities, which in turn suggests the movie may also have adapted the concept of a further mutation for the heroes from Eastman and Laird’s original pitch, a move that would have resulted in more action figures to sell.
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Why Did ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: The Foot Walks Again’ Fail?
Work was going ahead on a script for what would becomeTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: The Foot Walks Again. First-time screenwritersChristian FordandRoger Sofferwere hired to draft a scriptin 1994. That script went through multiple drafts, caused by conflicting messages between Ford and Soffer, Eastman and Laird, and executives with New Line.Robert McKeewas brought in at one point during the process to contribute script revision notes. It was all for naught, though, as the project fell through, which allowed Ford and Soffer to penKazamwithShaquille O’Neal(and the world may never forgive them for it). The return onTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IIIhad fallen significantly from the first film’s take, bringing in only $42.3 million versus the $135 million the original brought in.
While it’s easy to blame the third film’s box office and critical beating for the demise ofThe Foot Walks Again, there were other factors afoot (no pun intended, just awesomely accidental). The TMNT craze had died down from its early ’90s heyday, with the long-running cartoon TV show coming to an end in 1996 after nine years on the air. A 1997 live-action TV series,Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, only survived one season before being canceled, making it clear that Turtle Mania had indeed run its course, and wouldn’t be revived again until the 2003 animated seriesTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(whichintroduced a Turtles multiversein a tie-in TV movie,Turtles Forever).
Some elements from the history of the failedTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: The Foot Walks Againdid actually see the light of day, albeit briefly. The aforementioned 1997 TV seriesNinja Turtles: The Next Mutationdidn’t just jack its title from those failed concepts, it kept Shredder and the Foot Clan as the primary antagonists. The series also introduced Venus de Milo (performed by bothNicole ParkerandLeslie Sponbergand voiced byLalainia Lindbjerg), a new, serious, female turtle to the crew (and yes, she does have arms). The idea of a fifth turtle-like Kirby was already likely going to be a tough sell, so needless to say a female turtle split the fan base and, according toTMNTdirectorKevin Munroe, was hated “with a passion” by Eastman, leaving Venus as a one-and-done contribution to TMNT lore (until she reemerged in the pages of IDW’sTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#127 comic in 2022). With the release ofTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhemon August 2nd, 2023, it will be interesting to see if any concepts fromThe Foot Walks Againare utilized - purposely or incidentally - in the newest entry. Who knows - maybe we do get to meet Casey “Electro” Jones after all.
