Joe Manganiello says that he was nearly cast as Casey Jones in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles began as a comic book and evolved into an animated series and a live-action picture in 1990. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was followed by two sequels, and new animated series and movies, such as 2007’s TMNT, debuted throughout the years. In 2014, there was also a relaunched film series. Casey Jones, the vigilante, has frequently supported the popular characters over their history. Jones has been played by Elias Koteas, Stephen Amell, and has even been voiced by Chris Evans.

Jason Eisner, the filmmaker of Hobo with a Shotgun, recently turned to Twitter to showcase a dark, violent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles picture centering on Casey Jones that he pitched five years ago. Manganiello reacted to Eisner’s tweet on the project, revealing how he almost secured the role. Manganiello claims that he indicated interest in portraying the part before to Eisner’s presentation. But, as he points out, “I would have done this in a heartbeat,” further showing his interest in playing Casey Jones.

Five years ago I pitched a Casey Jones standalone film to Paramount with Shredders daughter Karai as the heel. The final act saw Casey team up with Raphael who was too look like he stepped out of the 1990 film. Here's the tone reel I made.https://t.co/s0dY0nfR53 pic.twitter.com/HAUNzAvMgr

— Jason Eisener (@jasoneisener) February 24, 2023