Power Rangers(2017) was supposed to lead to multiple sequels, which makes the reboot’s failure even more disappointing.Power Rangershas a complicated history with theatrical movies.The franchise’s first attempt to turn the TV phenomenon into box office success was in 1995withMighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. While the1995Power Rangersmoviehas since become a classic thanks to TV reruns and VHS, it didn’t do exceptionally well when it came out. Two years later,Power Rangersgot a second film, this time on a much smaller budget and with a more limited release.
Interestingly, 1997’sTurbo: A Power Rangers Movieis the only canon filmin the franchise and works as “episode 0” ofPower RangersTurbo. It took 20 years forPower Rangersto get another movie, withPower Rangers(2017) promising a darker, more mature take on the world ofMighty Morphin. With a great cast of up-and-coming actors and a lot of fresh ideas,Power Rangers(2017) had the potential to kickstart a franchise that could have reimagined the Zordon Era into a series of movies.Sadly, thisPower Rangerscinematic universe never came to be.
Power Rangers (2017) Was Supposed To Be The Start Of A New Franchise
In a conference call ahead of the movie’s release in 2017, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said the studio was“really, really excited”aboutPower Rangers, and that they could end up doing“five, or six, or seven”(viaVariety). While not much was ever discussed about what thePower Rangerssequels were going to look like, the studio clearly believed in the IP’s potential and saw the 2017 reboot as the start of a franchise. Unfortunately,Power Rangersbombed at the box office, and this new movie series based onMighty Morphinwas dead before it even started.
Power Rangers' future afterCosmic Furyremains unclear, with a new TV show or movie yet to be announced.
Made on a $100 million budget,Power Rangersonly grossed $142 million at the worldwide box office.Considering that movies usually need to gross 2.5 times their production budget to break even, it’s unclear whether the2017Power Rangersrebooteven turned a profit. ThePower Rangersbrand was sold to Hasbro around a year later, and if a newPower Rangersfilm ever happens, it won’t be a sequel to the 2017 reboot.Power Rangers’ box office failure killed any chances of starting a multi-movie franchise.
Power Rangers’ 7-Movie Plan Would Have Made For A Great Cinematic Universe
Power Rangers’ Lore Is Rich Enough To Sustain Multiple Sequels
Power Rangersflopping at the box office is even more disappointing considering how great a cinematic universe based on those characters would have been. While thePower RangersTV showwas primarily aimed at children, the franchise established an impressive lore over 30 years consisting of countless heroes, villains, locations, and more.Power Rangerscould have made for a very fun movie franchiseeven if it were to be based onMighty Morphinonly. BOOM! Studios’ comics are a great example of it, having modernizedPower Rangerswhile keeping the essence of the TV show.
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The 2017 film was a much more maturePower Rangersstory and found time to develop each character while also playing with the TV show’s lore. From Zordon and Rita being former Power Rangers to the Zeo Crystals being associated with life on Earth,Power Rangers(2017) had a lot of interesting ideas that could have been explored in sequels.The Green Ranger’s introduction and the arrival of Lord Zedd are just some examples of stories that could have been tackled in sequels, not to mention all the otherPower Rangersteams from around that same era.
What Power Rangers’ Sequels Would Have Looked Like Based On The Show
Power Rangers 2 Would’ve Likely Be Based On “Green With Evil”
While this seven-moviePower Rangerssaga never happened, it’s fun to imagine what it would have looked like.Power Rangers’ planned sequels could have either stretched theMighty Morphinstory into seven movies – similarly to what the comics have done – or moved into other eras of the show such asZeoandTurbo. Assuming they would have wanted to stay withMighty Morphinas long as possible,the sequels would’ve likely reinvented arcs such as “Green With Evil” and “The Mutiny” while also telling new stories within that sandbox.
Power Rangers’ Greatest Mystery Has Remained Unsolved For 26 Years And Might Never Be Answered
The most important Power Rangers battle happened 26 years ago, yet the show never explained the Mighty Morphin team mystery that came with it.
Power Rangers 2would have most certainly featured the Green Ranger, especially because the 2017 film’s post-credits scene teased the arrival of Tommy Oliver. It would have been nice to seeTommy Oliver’s full storytold across multiple movies, with the character going from an evil Ranger to the leader of the Power Rangers. Hopefully,Power Rangerswill someday return to the big screen, even with yet another reimagination of Mighty Morphin.
Power Rangers
Cast
Power Rangers (2017) follows five teenagers who are chosen to become the Power Rangers, tasked with protecting their town of Angel Grove and the world from an impending alien threat. As they grapple with personal challenges, they must unite to harness their newfound abilities to avert imminent destruction.
