The Mutant Mayhem Trailer Teases A TMNT Tragedy - And People Are Panicking
With its vibrant animation and clear sense of humor, director Jeff Rowe's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" looks like an overall fun watch suitable for all ages. At the same time, it's likely not just going to be an all-fun, all-jokes experience. Based on the promotional material fans have received so far ahead of its theatrical debut, some folks think there's some real tragedy awaiting moviegoers. Specifically, this pertains to a longstanding "TMNT" franchise tradition involving one of the shelled heroes' greatest human allies, the online debate-spawning April O'Neil (Ayo Edebiri).
In a screenshot posted by @booyakabungaIa on Twitter, we can see that the turtles will find themselves battered, exhausted, and surrounded by wreckage. This carnage could be the remains of April's apartment, which has been destroyed due to the turtles' battles with their enemies in various pieces of turtle media — from the 1990 live-action movie to the 2003 animated series. As if that's not enough to send fans into a collective worried frenzy, there's also the fact that they're surrounded by armed soldiers with their weapons pointed right at them.
Given the dire nature of this screenshot, "TMNT" fans haven't shied away from expressing their panic.
The TMNT seem to be in deep trouble
The key thing to remember about "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" is that at this point in their lives, the mutated crime fighters haven't been in the public eye very much. Therefore, as all kinds of genuinely villainous and dangerous mutants run amuck throughout New York City, they can easily be mistaken for some of these baddies as they try to do good deeds. So, it's not a great look if they're found by potential military personnel at the site of an apartment building's destruction.
Fans on Twitter have come together to share their worry that, specifically in this scene, the turtles could be taken away and heartbreakingly labeled as "monsters" by their captors despite their heroism. "I SWEAR TO GOD of they use the "monsters" card I'm losing it completely," tweeted @lux_y05, with @RizzmTism32346 commenting, "Oh god they're gonna get hurt," along with two crying emojis. As for @doniessglasses, they fully expect this to be a life-changing moment in the film should the young heroes end up captured.
One can only hope that if April's apartment is wrecked and the turtles end up in custody, they'll all bounce back stronger than ever, eager to take down the villains that are really terrorizing their home city. We'll find out for sure on August 2 when "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" releases in theaters.