Ninja Turtles 2 underperforms

The movie Ninja Turtles 2 did not perform well at the box office, which marked the end of Alan Ritchson's involvement with the franchise. Ritchson had portrayed Raphael using performance capture in both Ninja Turtles films released in 2014 and 2016.

Ritchson describes bitter experience

Ritchson called his time working on the films a particularly bitter experience, saying there was a significant gap between the initial promises and the reality of the production. He felt the experience left him with lasting disappointment.

Actors excluded from promotion

Ritchson and the other actors who played the turtles—Noel Fisher, Pete Ploszek, and Jeremy Howard—were not included in promotional activities for the films. They were told by the studio they were not allowed to give interviews, which Ritchson claimed was untrue, and they were not invited to premieres.

Contractual issues and lack of benefits

Ritchson expressed frustration over the contractual terms, which he said did not offer the protections he and his co-stars expected. Their contracts were described as being for "on-screen animation," a relatively new field, and they were not entitled to benefits like overtime pay or meal allowances.

Ritchson's initial reluctance and expectations

Ritchson had initially refused the role due to concerns about not being recognized for his work. He was convinced to take the part after being assured that performance capture would provide visibility, similar to Andy Serkis's experience in The Lord of the Rings.

Contractual obligation and unresolved issues

Ritchson did not want to reprise his role for the sequel but was contractually required to return. He claimed the problems from the first film were not fixed in the second installment, calling the entire experience the worst filming he had ever done.

End of collaboration and career shift

The poor performance of Ninja Turtles 2 led to the end of Ritchson's collaboration with the franchise. He later transitioned to producing and gained recognition for his role in Reacher, which premiered on Prime Video in 2022.