TMNT: Mutant Mayhem Concept Art Shows Early Peek At April O’Neil’s Evolution-TGN

A new look at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem concept art shows an early peek at April O’Neil’s evolution as the film was in production.

Summary

• New concept art reveals April O’Neil’s evolving design in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

• April’s design has changed throughout TMNT history, from a Caucasian with curly hair to a Black character in recent adaptations, maintaining her status as a classic ally to the Turtles.

• The positive reception to April’s new design ensures that her memorable appearance in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem will be remembered for years to come.

New concept art from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem shows an early glimpse at April O’Neil’s evolution as the film was in production. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem introduces April as a high school student trying to find a riveting story for her school’s newspaper. When she comes across the Turtles, she decides writing about them can become her biggest claim to fame.

Now, character designer James A. Castillo has released concept art from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem showing how April’s design evolved as the film was in production.

The concept art shows off three different designs of April, as well as detailed drawings of her final design and her facial expressions. Get a closer look at the images below:

How April O’Neil’s Design Has Changed Through TMNT History

April was first introduced in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mirage comics by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Initially designed as a Caucasian woman with curly hair, April’s design has altered many times throughout Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles history. This includes the iconic yellow jumpsuit she sports in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 animated series, and her red hair in the 2003 animated show.

The first time April was portrayed as a Black character onscreen was in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, where she is already a close friend of the Turtles. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans love April is Black again in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem as well. This shows that, no matter how April is designed throughout her Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles history, she maintains her status as a classic character and ally to the Turtles.

Castillo’s designs for April in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem show how the creators of the movie had a specific vision for her character. Now that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2 has been announced, there’s no doubt April will return sporting the same design in the future. Given the positive reception to her new design, there’s no doubt the version of April in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem will be remembered for a long time to come.

Source: James A. Castillo/Twitter