‘Super Sentai’ Ending Officially Confirmed – Make Way For ‘PROJECT R.E.D.’ And A New ‘Space Sheriff Gavan’
After weeks of whispers and rumors as to its future (or rather, lack thereof) Super Sentai broadcaster TV Asahi has confirmed that its current outing, No.1 Sentai Gyozuger, will be its last – but fear not tokusatsu fans, as it will apparently be succeeded by both a new Space Sheriff Gavan series, as well as a completely new endeavor titled PROJECT R.E.D.
As previously reported, news of Super Sentai‘s upcoming demise was first broken on October 30th by Japanese news outlet Oricon News, whose two-sentence report simply read, as machine translated by DeepL, “The TV Asahi-affiliated Super Sentai will conclude with its currently airing installment [No. 1 Sentai Gozyuger], sources familiar with the matter revealed on the 30th. The popular franchise, which began in 1975 with Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, will draw to a close after half a century.”
And though the report’s brevity sparked understandable skepticism as to whether or not the series was actually coming to an end, most fans came to accept its fate following a subsequent post from Toei’s Thailand broadcasting partner, The Cartoon Club, in which they not only affirmed the unfortunate production update but also teased that its replacement would come in the form of something called Universe Heroes.
After almost a month of speculation, TV Asahi officially confirmed Super Sentai‘s ending on November 25th, with the network’s president Shinji Nishimura telling the Japanese news outlet Livedoor, “I would like to express my gratitude to the fans who have supported us for half a century.”
“This 50th anniversary marks a natural turning point,” he added. “We want to use this as an opportunity to create new heroes. Regarding tokusatsu, we will continue to provide new series for everyone to enjoy.”
From there pressed as to whether Super Sentai could be revived in the future, Nishimura affirmed, “”There is a possibility [but] At this point, we cannot confirm anything definitively.”
Alongside this confirmation, TV Asahi also announced that the series’ time slot would now be filled by Toei’s new endeavor, the aforementioned PROJECT R.E.D (the previous Universe Heroes title having presumably been used as a placeholder name prior to launch).
In an press release – which in addition to Japanese was also published in English, an all-but-sure sign that Toei is serious about their previously declared goal of breaking into the Western market – the studio explained, “Short for ‘Records of Extraordinary Dimensions’, PROJECT R.E.D. is a new tokusatsu series featuring a red hero in action.”
But rather than a dedicated series, it appears as if the name is meant to apply to more of a Marvel Cinematic Universe-style production banner, with Toei further asserting that “the project is slated to have numerous upcoming broadcast series with potential for crossovers within PROJECT R.E.D“
(And in a result that’s so on-the-nose that it has to have been intentional on Toei’s part, PROJECT R.E.D. bears the initials PR – The same as Hasbro’s Power Rangers, whose stranglehold on the Super Sentai brand in the United States is currently speculated to be the reason for Super Sentai‘s sunsetting.)
And in service of this new crossover universe, the studio simultaneously confirmed that PROJECT R.E.D.‘s first entry will be Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity, which they describe as “a reimagining” of the titular Metal Heroes series, as originally aired from 1982-1983.
“Gavan’s influence extended far beyond Japan, capturing fans worldwide in the 80s. In an age when AI, space exploration, and advanced technology have now become reality, Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity brings back to life the original heart of Gavan reborn in a completely new series.”
Curiously, though the Metal Heroes franchise already has a specifically red-colored Space Sheriff in the form of Gavan’s successor, Sharivan, Toei specifically highlighted how “the first series in PROJECT R.E.D, Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity embodies the ‘Red Hero’ theme at its core.”
“The newly revealed Gavan dons a sleek, metallic red combat suit,” they added. “The glowing red armor, teased in new visual materials, hints at the stylish, high-tech energy of this new hero. More information to be released soon.”
At present, Toei has yet to confirm any official production details, including cast members, plot synopses, or air dates for Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity.
However, when they do, it’s likely that the series will follow in the footsteps of Toei’s other tokusatsu mainstay Kamen Rider, whose currently-airing Zeztz is the first to ever be simulcast in specifically Western territories.
