Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem's Biggest Villain Is Hiding in Plain Sight

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem introduces a new franchise universe vision of the Ninja Turtles – one that is taking its sweet time to develop. Indeed, one of the most exciting aspects of Mutant Mayhem is that it doesn't spend the biggest franchise lore capital in this first installment; newcomers may not immediately know it, but this TMNT movie reboot actually sets up multiple big villains for the franchise's future. 

(WARNING SPOILERS FOLLOW) 

The mid-credits scene of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem clearly introduced the new version of The Shredder as a ninja hitman hired by TCRI executive Cynthia Utrom (Maya Rudolph) to track down and capture the Turtles. But what some fans may not realize is that the bigger threat is hiding in plain sight, as the woman who hired Shredder will (eventually) be revealed to be even more dangerous than the ninja assassin. 

TMNT: Cynthia Utrom Connection to Krang Explained

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem writers Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and co-writer/director Jeff Rowe are clearly diehard fans of TMNT lore: TCRI (Techno Cosmic Research Institute) is the classic Earth corporation serving as a front for the machinations of the Utrom race. 

In TMNT, Utroms are an alien species that look like fleshy brain creatures with sharp teeth and tentacle limbs; although they typically house themselves in robot exoskeletons for protection, function, and disguise. The most infamous of the Utroms would be the warlord Krang, who often hails from Dimension X. However, it's clear in Mutant Mayhem that "Cynthia Utrom" is really one of these creatures, hiding in plain sight. 

Mutant Mayhem will continue into a Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series before the sequel film arrives; when, exactly, Cynthia will reveal the brain housed in her belly is anyone's guess. However, given how much restraint the first film showed with developing the big bads of the franchise, we can hope that Cynthia's alien identity is something that only gets revealed after the sequel deals with a classic 'Turtles vs. Shredder' battle, setting up an epic third film where the Turtles take on the Utrom threat. 

Teenage Mutans Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem stars Micah Abbey as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, and Brady Noon Raphael. The cast also includes Hannibal Buress as Genghis Frog, Rose Byrne as Leatherhead, John Cena as Rocksteady, Jackie Chan as Splinter, Ice Cube as Superfly, Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut, Ayo Edebiri as April O'Neil, Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman, Post Malone as Ray Fillet, Seth Rogen as Bebop, Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko, and Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom.

 It is now playing in theaters.