Netflix Kills Beloved ’90s Reboot Series But Hope Isn’t Lost
The Power Rangers reboot announced in 2020 has been axed, but there’s still hope for fans of the beloved 90s show. While Netflix won’t be moving forward with the series, Hasbro has announced they are working with a new partner to produce the revival. That leaves the planned resurrection in a state of limbo with it being unclear how much of the previous plan is still in place and who is involved.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
The reboot was meant to revitalize the franchise that began in 1993 with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. That show was a reworking of the popular Japanese show Super Sentai, using the action scenes from Super Sentai with new footage and voice dubbing featuring American actors. That series was an immediate success, becoming a nationwide phenomenon in the 1990s.
The success of the series spawned an entire ongoing universe which the Netflix Power Rangers reboot sought to recreate with plans to spin the series off into other shows and movies. Since the original show premiered in 1993 there have been 30 seasons of TV produced, with frequent rebrandings and a shifting cast of characters. Four films have also been made, with three fitting into the established continuity and one attempted franchise reboot.
2017’s Power Rangers, Dino Fury, And Cosmic Fury
The 2017 Dean Israelite film Power Rangers was the last attempt to reboot the iconic series, though it wasn’t successful to follow up on. A six-film story arc was supposedly planned, but the film’s poor reception led to those plans being abandoned. The announcement of the Netflix revival was the final nail in the coffin of that version of the universe.
Even before the plans for a franchise reboot, Netflix had a relationship with Power Rangers, with most of the Dino Fury seasons and all of Cosmic Fury premiering on the streaming platform. Netflix also released an hour-long special in 2023 that brought back many of the original actors. The tepid response to that special may be part of why Hasbro is moving away from Netflix’s plans for the revival.
Showrunner Uncertainty
Before it was canceled, the Power Rangers reboot universe was going to be guided by Jonathan Entwistle, creator of Netflix shows like I Am Not Okay With This and The End of the F****ing World. The showrunner for the initial series was set to be Jenny Klein, who worked as a writer and producer on shows like Jessica Jones and The Tick. While Entwistle is no longer involved with the project, Klein may still be attached to the show.
Searching For A New Home
Hasbro’s new partner in its plans to reboot Power Rangers is a mystery, but it could be another streaming platform like Amazon or Disney+. Following Netflix’s announcement that the project wouldn’t be moving forward the company announced that they were pursuing a new creative direction with this mystery partner. This may indicate that the revival will be stripped down to a singular show rather than the planned cinematic universe.
A Strange Project
The Power Rangers reboot is an odd case, reviving a show that never stopped being produced. With ambitious plans in place at Netflix, the move away from the streaming platform only adds to the strangeness of the project. Fans of the series will have to wait to see what Hasbro and their new partner have planned but the one thing we do know is that it won’t involve Netflix.
