The badass blind vigilante known asDaredeviland the reptilian brothers collectively known as theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, share far more in common than it seems, with their ninja skills, acrobatic talents, and New York City-based adventures being only a few of their shared similarities. With all the crossovers happening in comics lately,why haven’t Daredevil and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles officially met yet?The answer isn’t as complicated as fans might think.
Created in 1984 by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael have crossed over with their share of comic properties over the years, with their multiversal shenanigans seeing them step into the worlds ofGhostbusters,Power Rangers, and most recently, the anime and manga series,Naruto.
In aninterview with AIPT, popular industry artist Freddie E. Williams II, the superstar behind the iconic visuals seen in theBatman/TMNTcrossover trilogy, 2022’sGodzilla vs Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, 2024’sTurtles of Grayskullseries, and more, Freddie explains howa Marvel x IDW collaboration featuring Daredevil and TMNT is the next crossover he’d love to draw, held up by nothing but a deal between parent companies.
A Daredevil x TMNT Crossover Is Something Artist Freddie E. Williams II Is Hoping To Draw
This Crossover Would Be a “Dream Come True” for Freddie
After speaking on some of his work onTurtles of Grayskullalongside editor Brett Israel, Freddie is asked “If you could draw a crossover between any two other toy/cartoon franchises from the ‘80s or ‘90s, what would your dream pick be?” Responding that he would love to draw characters fromThe Pirates of Dark Water,Thundarr the Barbarian,Gargoyles, and evenSilverHawkscartoons,Freddie finally admits that if he could choose just one and “make it happen” it would be “a Daredevil and Ninja Turtle crossover,”something that would make a whole lot of sense from a canonical perspective.
Explaining how fans would “go wild” for this team-up, Freddie describes how there are “PLENTY of canonical connections between the two properties” — in TMNT’s first issue, for example, Eastman and Laird subtly laid the groundworktying Daredevil’s origin to TMNT’s— and how it’d be a “dream come true” for him to work on. Far from the first time a creator has floated the idea of bringing Leo, Donnie, Mikey, Raph, and the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen together,the fact that Williams has already drawn a slew of crossovers for various companies and properties bodes well for an official comic series.
How Probable Is an Official Daredevil x TMNT Crossover Event in the Comic Space?
Marvel and IDW Just Need To Make a Deal
While Freddie E. Williams II is up for continuing his streak of being the go-to artist for cross-company storytelling,TMNT’s publisher, IDW, along with Marvel, will still need to work out a deal to make an official crossover happen. Luckily, the fact that Marvel has been more open to allowing their characters to share the same space with other properties recently — the currentAlien vs Avengersbook,Godzilla vs Marvelseries, and upcomingPredator vs Spider-Mancomic being prime examples — it isn’t out of the question thatDaredeviland theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlescould meet sooner rather than later.
