Disney Plus Looking To Revive The Power Rangers With New Live-Action Series Led By ‘Percy Jackson And The Olympians’ Showrunners
Go, go, Power Rangers! Yes, go…to Disney Plus in a brand-new series Hasbro is co-producing. The toy company is adding to its live-action portfolio by reviving the once-popular Mighty Morphin’ franchise in a new show for streaming.
According to The Wrap, Hasbro aims to “reinvent the franchise for a whole new generation of fans while delighting those who already know and love the world of Power Rangers.” Percy Jackson and the Olympians showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz are in talks to write, run, and produce.
Inspired by and borrowing footage from Japan’s Super Sentai, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers debuted in 1993 on Fox Kids, becoming one of the pillars of that division of the Fox Network. It morphed overnight into a billion-dollar franchise for its creator Haim Saban of Saban Entertainment that generated much merchandise and many comic books.
As the seasons rolled on, costumes had to change to match the footage coming from Sentai producer Toei. Cast members and branding also changed (trouble behind the scenes also contributed to this revolving door). The show went from “Mighty Morphin’” to “Alien Rangers” to “Zeo” to “Turbo” in the span of four years.
These factors are why the casts were so different in Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) and Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1997). Jason David Frank, Johnny Yong Bosch, and Steven Cardenas were exceptions. Saban and Lion’s Gate Films produced a reboot in 2017 starring Bryan Cranston (who worked on the original series and inspired the name of David Yost’s character), Dacre Montgomery, and Naomi Scott. It underperformed and failed to spawn a film series as hoped.
Meanwhile, the TV universe continued through several incarnations for the last few decades before Hasbro acquired the IP. It moved from Fox over to ABC and Toon Disney, and then to Nickelodeon, and later Netflix for a nostalgia-bait revival that disappointingly went nowhere.
The Power Rangers were so influential that countless cash-ins and spinoffs rose up for miles at one time. Saban tried to replicate his success with VR Troopers, Big Bad Beetleborgs, and a Kamen Rider adaptation using footage from Kamen Rider Black RX.
Fox took advantage of the fervor and the popularity of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by greenlighting a live-action TMNT series (The Next Mutation) that crossed over with Power Rangers In Space. Other networks tried their hand at MMPR knock-offs. ABC aired Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad and USA Network had Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills (let’s avoid discussing that one any further).
Specifics of the D+ Rangers are scarce, but Hasbro is on a bit of a spree mining properties other than Transformers, which has seen better days. They are also currently producing various film and series adaptations for Clue, Magic: The Gathering, and Dungeons & Dragons in an attempt to create the next big cinematic universe.
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