When Saban's hit series Power Rangers returns to the big screen early next year, in many ways it won't be the same as fans remember it. For one, the film directed by Dean Israelite will feature a whole new cast as the original characters of Zack, Kimberly, Billy, Trini, Jason, Zordon, Alpha 5 and Rita Repulsa. And Israelite has also promised that this new adaptation will be more character-driven and grounded than its predecessors, while also keeping some of the original's playful feel.

Yet possibly the biggest (and most divisive) difference between the original series and the new film comes from the Power Rangers' new suits. As a reboot and reimagining of the popular franchise, fans always knew there'd have be some changes to the heroes' appearances, but they probably never thought they'd look so different. As a bit of an explanation, production designer Andrew Menzies has revealed that the new suits are "an alien costume that grows on them, that’s not man-made." And so the new suits are essentially meant to embody "their energy, their spirit," rather than simply having the characters wearing a costume.

Our first look at the new suits came back in May with a special reveal of the five new Rangers standing atop some boxes. But since they were cloaked in shadows, it was hard to make out all the details on the Ranger suits. Since then, we've also seen a few blurred character posters, as well as some smaller images of the Rangers atop their Zords. Now, however, new photos and video below of the suits on display gives us a closer look at the Rangers impressive costumes.

Go Go #powerrangers #powerrangersmovie A photo posted by Michael Wong (@michaelangeloming) on

Go Go #powerrangers #powerrangersmovie A video posted by Michael Wong (@michaelangeloming) on

Go Go #ritarepulsa #powerrangers A photo posted by Michael Wong (@michaelangeloming) on

Upon closer inspection, it's not hard to see what Israelite and Menzies meant about the suits that morph onto the characters' bodies. We saw it happen a little bit in the first trailer, but now we can see all the separate pieces in the suits that come together to make the complete costume. In the 90s, the action sequences and suits were taken from Japanese footage, but now the producers are able to take the Rangers any direction they wish. And since it's already been established a long time ago that the Rangers suits have alien origins, it's not too surprising that they'd look alien themselves.

What's most interesting though about the new photos is how much Rita Repulsa's costume continues to look like a more battered version of the ones the Rangers are wearing. As an alien herself, this could be because they both have similar origins, or it's also likely that Rita used to be a Power Ranger. It's a theory that actually started months ago, but with each new photo and closer look at the movie, it's starting to sound more and more believable. And it also follows the rumor that Zordon also used to be a Ranger. It's exciting to see how each new reveal brings us closer to figuring out just what Israelite has in store for us this spring.

Source: Instagram (via Heroic Hollywood)