The upcoming Power Rangers movie is technically a reboot, but the franchise doesn't really need saving. It has been going strong since its debut in 1993 with a whopping 19 different TV series to go with two feature-length movies. The third entry in the cinematic canon of Power Rangers promises a modernized take on the franchise (which started with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in 1993), in terms of both themes and aesthetics.
Still, the traits shared by both Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and the 2017 movie are not to be overlooked. All five original Power Ranger characters (Jason, Zack, Billy, Kimberly, and Trini) are in the film, as are Zordon (now played by Bryan Cranston) and Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks). It has been unclear, however, if Rita's warrior henchman Goldar would be joining her in this new battle with the Power Rangers - until now.
Power Rangers director Dean Israelite spoke Saturday at a panel for the movie at the New York Comic-Con, mentioning that Goldar would be revealed in upcoming teasers and trailers for the reboot. Goldar famously fought the Power Rangers and Megazord throughout various incarnations of the powerful heroes, often acting as Rita Repulsa's second-in-command and narrowly surviving such battles. Rita has already appeared in various promotional materials for the movie, as have the Rangers themselves (and even the Red Ranger's power sword), but the other major players in the film have yet to be revealed. It's unclear if any of Rita's other minions, including Goldar's frequent sidekick Scorpina, will also appear.
Goldar ought to be a worthy adversary for the Power Rangers and their Zords, as he was for several years on the TV shows and the original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers movie. The film's newly-released teaser trailer mostly shows elements of the characters' early development and little of their world post-discovery of their powers. There is, however, a brief glimpse of Rita Repulsa that reveals a CGI-heavy floating alien sorceress. Given Goldar's griffin-like appearance, he could potentially be a motion-capture CGI character - Andy Serkis, anyone?
Goldar will certainly be a welcome addition to the cast of characters for longtime fans of the franchise. He will carry plenty of potential as a fighter for the bad guys and likely be a formidable foe in the movie's biggest battles. Considering the updated look for the Power Rangers and Rita that have already been revealed, it will be interesting to see how the reboot updates Goldar's appearance, and whether the character would be makeup-heavy or be created with detailed CGI - that is, if he's not turned into a more human-like character.
The Power Rangers reboot appears to tackle issues similar to those the Rangers faced in the original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers TV show. There seems to be heavy human elements involved, while the original villains mostly just behave like any other villain intent on world domination. With the main premise and alien characters already built-in, the character development and acting could be the difference-maker for the reboot. Goldar's appearance certainly could be a fun one, but it should also be meaningful to the plot. Too many appearances by classic characters just for the sake of it could bog the movie down. But for now, fans can eagerly anticipate the big reveal.
NEXT: Power Rangers (2017) Teaser Trailer
Power Rangers opens in U.S. theaters on March 24th, 2017.