Alan Ritchson has been cast as Raphael in Jonathan Liebsman's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" reboot.

Although the Michael Bay-produced, Jonathan Liebsman-directed "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" reboot was delayed last year, it seems to be gaining more steam with the recent announcement of Megan Fox as April O'Neil. Fox's casting may have begun a trend as Deadline reports Alan Ritchson has been cast as Raphael in the upcoming film, making him the first of the four turtles to have found an actor. Ritchson plays Gloss in the upcoming "The Hunger Games" sequel, "Catching Fire."

Casting another of the major roles for the film is a step in the right direction, but the movie is not without its share of controversy -- whether it's the rumored changes to the Turtles' origin or both fans and "Turtles" co-creator Peter Laird reacting negatively to a leaked script in 2012. While Laird isn't so convinced about the reboot, co-creator Kevin Eastman has endorsed the reboot and has consulted with director Jonathan Liebsman. When CBR spoke with "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" co-creator Kevin Eastman earlier this month, he teased a bit of what to expect from the upcoming film.

"It's all based solidly on the "Turtles" foundation, but they've hit the reset button. They've taken it back to the first episode, with the Turtles first time above ground after many years of training with Master Splinter. They're making a 'Turtles' origin that is firmly rooted in 'Turtles' history, but a slight tweak here and a slight tweak there. It's been enjoyable and the IDW series is much the same, in that it's firmly rooted in 'Turtles' history, but multiple 'Turtles' universes."

Paramount and Platinum Dunes' "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" reboot begins filming in April with a target May 16, 2014 release date.