Summary
- Power Rangers (2017) failed at the box office, but a new reboot could start fresh and reimagine the saga for a new generation.
- A young adult Power Rangers TV show is in development, which means a different tone and original story, breaking away from Super Sentai adaptations.
- The success of other Power Rangers media, such as the Power Rangers comics, proves that a YA reboot with new characters can work and attract new audiences.
Power Rangers (2017) failed at igniting a Power Rangers movie franchise, but the saga already has the perfect setup for a new reboot of the popular TV series. The Power Rangers movie’s disappointing box office did not interfere with the Power Rangers TV shows, which have continued to air at least one season every year. However, as Power Rangers’ 30th season approaches, the future of the franchise after Power Rangers Cosmic Fury could be very different from what viewers are used to – which is a good thing.
The 2017 Power Rangers movie was a reboot to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers . The original Power Rangers characters – from Zordon’s five teenagers with attitude to Rita Repulsa – all received new interpretations in the 2017 film. While it was interesting to see Mighty Morphin as a blockbuster movie, the ideal Power Rangers reboot should start something from scratch. Fortunately, that seems to be what will happen after Power Rangers Cosmic Fury.
Power Rangers' New YA Series Sets Up A Completely Different (& Better) Tone
A scripted, young adult Power Rangers TV show was announced to be in development at the end of 2020, with Hasbro recently confirming that the project is still moving forward. Presumably, this young adult Power Rangers series will be an all-original story rather than a Super Sentai adaption. Power Rangers has been moving from Sentai adaptations recently, as seen with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always and Cosmic Fury, the former of which didn’t include any Sentai footage. A young adult Power Rangers TV show also means it would have a very different tone compared to the current Power Rangers seasons.
Power Rangers (2017) did try to reimagine Power Rangers for more mature audiences. However, by using the same characters and concepts from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the 2017 reboot struggled to find its tone. Seeing the classic Power Rangers characters in a dark, gritty reboot that barely featured the Power Rangers in action did not work. As a comparison, Once & Always was a much better “return to Mighty Morphin” project. A young adult Power Rangers TV show with no ties to the main Power Rangers universe would be the perfect way to reimagine the saga for a new generation without relying too much on nostalgia.
Power Rangers Already Proved A YA Reboot Can Work
As the Power Rangers universe continues to expand across television and comics, the franchise proves that a young adult reboot not based on a Super Sentai series can work. While the Cosmic Fury suits sparked some divisive reactions, the prospect of a 10-episode, filler-less Power Rangers season that only uses Sentai footage for the Zord battles is promising to say the least. Once & Always, which had some of the darkest Power Rangers moments in the history of the franchise, also proves that Power Rangers welcomes different interpretations. More recently, BOOM! Comics’ Ranger Academy showed exactly how a YA Power Rangers can work.
While Ranger Academy is part of the Power Rangers universe in the comics, this new series focus on new, original characters placed in an academy where future Rangers are trained. Borrowing from shows like Power Rangers Time Force and Power Rangers S.P.D., Ranger Academy is the perfect example of how Power Rangers can start from scratch without ignoring what came before. Something in the style of popular shows like Stranger Things or Cobra Kai would fit the tone of a Power Rangers reboot series and could reinvent the saga for new audiences.