Nickelodeon’s upcoming Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series hasn’t even premiered yet, but the network appears confident it will be a hit, as season 2 has already been ordered. The turtles have been around in various incarnations for decades now, but this new iteration looks to change things up both in terms of the visual style of the characters as well as the team dynamic. As is evident by the promo images and videos that have been released so far, the turtles have undergone a significant redesign. The changes give the fiery tempered Raphael a considerable size difference on his amphibious brothers, which is fitting as this new series reportedly repositions him in a leadership role.
That change may take some getting used to for longtime fans of the franchise, but Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has a few more surprises in store for the mutant teens. Most notable may be the series’ concept, which, while still revolving around mutated martial arts masters, will now come with a heavy dose of the supernatural, as Raphael, Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo will tap into "mystical ninja powers". Those new abilities will be put to use as the brothers explore a whole new world in the NYC sewers.
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All the changes Nickelodeon has in store for the Turtles seems to be working, as the network is eager to keep the mystic adventures going for the foreseeable future. In a statement regarding the early renewal, Nickelodeon said:
"Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the reimagined 2D-animated series, has been greenlit for a second season with 26 episodes. The action-comedy follows the band of brothers, Raph, Leo, Donnie and Mikey, as they discover new powers and encounter a mystical world they never knew existed beneath the streets of New York City.”
The new series features some recognizable names behind the reimagined heroes with Ballers star Omar Benson Miller voicing Raph, Ben Schwartz (Parks & Rec, DuckTales) voicing Leo, Josh Brenner (Silicon Valley) voicing Donnie, You’re the Worst actor Brandon Mychal Smith as the voice of Mikey, and Kat Graham (How It Ends) as April O’Neil. If you’re curious whether or not the new series is up your alley, you can check out the first five episodes online now at nick.com, or wait until the show premieres in September.
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Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premieres Monday, September 17 on Nickelodeon.