Kate Mulgrew is the fourth "Star Trek" actor to be in a TMNT feature, after Patrick Stewart (Max Winters in TMNT (2007)), Whoopi Goldberg (Bernadette Thompson in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)) and Michael Dorn (Commander Mozar in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012)). However, all these actors were from Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987); Mulgrew stands out as having been Capt Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager (1995).
Zera the Triceraton is designed after a Torosaurus, which is distinguished from the normal Triceratops by an elongate frill with large openings, long squamosal bones of the frill with a trough on their upper surface, and the presence of five or more pairs of hornlets on the back of the frill
In the prehistoric era, Bebop and Rocksteady respectively acquire turtle shells and a green helmet to wear. These items were part of their original attire in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987).
The Turtles' dinosaurs (Leo with a triceratops, Mikey with a stegosaurus and Raph with a pterodactyl, and Donnie with a tyrannosaurus) are based on the 1990s TMNT toys where the Turtles were portrayed as cave Turtles with dinosaur friends.
The Shell-Former tank is a homage to the "Transformers" saga, which was about giant shapeshifting robot warriors. The term "shall-former" comes from Transformers, and is used to define a Transformer robot with an outer shell.