Joe Manganiello, one of the stars in hit feel-good movie Magic Mike, almost starred in a superhero movie backed by Paramount Studios. Taking to social media, the actor revealed that he may have been close to playing the role of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character Casey Jones in a stand-alone film that was pitched years ago.
The big revelation of Manganiello’s close crime-fighting turtle encounter came via a response to a Tweet made by screenwriter and director Jason Eisener. Eisener revealed to his followers that he pitched a standalone Casey Jones action movie five years ago. Casey Jones is an iconic cartoon character who, like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, acts as a vigilante, fighting in his ice hockey mask for the greater good.
“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 to look like he stepped out of the 1990 film. Here’s the tone reel I made,” Eisener wrote, along with attaching a Vimeo link.
In response to the Tweet, Manganiello shared that he was approached to star in an undisclosed mystery movie for Paramount and would have loved the opportunity if the Casey Jones thriller movie ever got off the ground.
“About ten years ago, Paramount wanted to make something with me, and I said I wanted to play Casey Jones… I would have done this in a heartbeat,” Manganiello shared.
While Manganiello never got his Casey Jones movie, he has starred in superhero flicks. In 2002 he appeared in Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man movie, and he also made an appearance in the post-credit scene of the DC movie Justice League as the movie villain Deathstroke.
There are also new movies coming our way for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IP, such as the animated movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – which is set to release on August 4, 2023. So, who knows? Maybe renewed investment in the franchise will see Manganiello get his Casey Jones shot yet. Stay tuned for updates.
In the meantime, here are our guides to all new DCU with Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters; and the best Marvel movies of all time.