Even Power Rangers seasons that have taken place in alternate universes, namely R.P.M. and Dino Charge, are still part of a larger unified continuity that was first established in 1993. The 2017 Power Rangers movie had so far been the only time the franchise rebooted things, and even then, the show continued normally. Likewise, while the BOOM! Studios Power Rangers comics are set in their own multiverse, they never directly affected what the show was doing. However, the franchise is now about to change forever as a brand-new Power Rangers show is reportedly in development for Disney+.

Disney+’s New Power Rangers Show Means The Original Continuity Is Dead

The Disney+ Show Will Most Likely Be A Fresh Start For Power Rangers

According to The Wrap, Percy Jackson and the Olympians showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz are being eyed to develop and produce a new Power Rangers show alongside Hasbro Entertainment for Disney+ and 20th Century TV. The show is being described as a reinvention of Power Rangers that will target both long-time fans of the 32-year-old franchise and new viewers. As of the writing of this article, it is unclear whether this will be a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers reboot, or if it will introduce an all-new set of characters.

Either way, it is safe to say that Disney+’s Power Rangers show will be a reboot and will not take place in the same continuity as all the other Power Rangers seasons. Considering that the classic Power Rangers show is primarily aimed at young children and follows a very specific formula that works well for the 20-minute-long format, it would be arguably impossible for a new show designed for a streaming platform to match the tone of the previous series. For example, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is rated TV-PG, whereas most Power Rangers seasons are rated TV-Y7.

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Additionally, there is just so much lore in the current continuity that it would be difficult for new stories to be told in that sandbox. Ever since talks about a potential new Power Rangers show aimed at young adult audiences began, it became clear that a reboot would be the only way to do it. While Power Rangers: Once & Always and Power Rangers Cosmic Fury, both of which were Netflix originals, were darker than other entries, their tones were still much closer to that of the previous seasons than to something like Stranger Things.

I Love Power Rangers, But The Show Needed A Reboot After Cosmic Fury

The Classic Power Rangers Formula Wasn’t Working Anymore

I loved the Dino Fury era of Power Rangers, but the reception of Power Rangers Cosmic Fury made it clear that it was time for the show to do something different. To be fair, Cosmic Fury did do a lot of new things, including but not limited to using original costumes created for the American show instead of Super Sentai ones. As a result, Cosmic Fury only used Super Sentai scenes for the zord and Megazord battles, which proved to be very divisive among fans after 29 seasons based on the Japanese series.

On the one hand, not relying on Sentai could give Power Rangers a lot more freedom. On the other hand, Cosmic Fury didn’t quite capture the magic of Super Sentai, especially when it came to the costumes. This is why I believe Power Rangers needs to start fresh in a new continuity where it can explore new ideas and formats without having to live up to 30 other seasons that came before it. Power Rangers can work without Super Sentai, but not with half-measure decisions like the ones made for Cosmic Fury.

Cosmic Fury Was The Perfect Conclusion For The Original Power Rangers Continuity

Cosmic Fury’s Final Episodes Were A Celebration Of Power Rangers’ Legacy

Power Rangers Cosmic Fury’s ending is a lot more important now that the franchise is about to be rebooted. With Disney+’s Power Rangers series most likely being the start of a new continuity, the final episode of Cosmic Fury will also be the final episode of the original show as a whole. It is a good thing that Cosmic Fury’s finale was not only titled “The End” but also thematically worked as the final chapter in the classic franchise. The episode even had its own Avengers: Endgame moment where old Megazords from previous seasons showed up to the rescue.

Between Billy finding out that Zordon was not gone forever and Lord Zedd being defeated once and for all, I believe Cosmic Fury’s “The End” was a good enough final episode for the original version of the show. If the Cosmic Fury Rangers singing a song based on Zordon’s “May the power protect you” line as the Morphin Masters watch them is the last thing we ever see of the original Power Rangers universe, I’m fine with it. As someone who has watched all 30 seasons of Power Rangers over and over, I can’t wait for a different take on the franchise.

The Original Power Rangers Universe Can Still Live On In Other Media

Power Rangers Is More Than Just The Live-Action TV Shows

Even if Disney+’s Power Rangers reboot takes the franchise in a completely different direction and becomes the first entry in a larger universe of sequels and spinoffs, there is still room for the original universe to live on. While the comic books don’t technically take the same place in the same universe as the TV shows – there have been too many deviations and multiverse shenanigans already for that to work – they are still based on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and its sequels. Even with all the new additional lore, the comics will still be a window into classic Power Rangers.

That is not to mention all the games and novels that could come out in the future. For example, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind offered a nostalgic trip through Power Rangers history combining elements of the show and the comics in a very fun video game. Some of the best Power Rangers stories of recent years have been from other media and not the TV show anyway, so I wouldn’t have a problem with the original universe continuing in other ways while the Disney+ show reinvents the live-action side of the franchise.

Source: The Wrap

Power Rangers

Created by

Haim Saban, Shuki Levy, Shotaro Ishinomori

First Film

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

Latest Film

Power Rangers

First TV Show

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers

Latest TV Show

Power Rangers Cosmic Fury

Summary

Power Rangers is a long-running multimedia franchise that debuted in 1993 with the TV series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Created by Haim Saban and adapted from the Japanese Super Sentai series, Power Rangers became a cultural phenomenon by combining action-packed footage from Super Sentai with new scenes featuring American actors. The franchise follows teams of young heroes who transform into Power Rangers to battle various villains, using martial arts, special powers, and giant mechas called Zords. Over the decades, the franchise has expanded into multiple TV series, films, comics, video games, and merchandise, becoming one of the most successful children's franchises in the world.

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