The next Power Rangers reboot movie appears likely to feature a brand new cast, the latest overhaul for a franchise trying to recapture its past magic. The franchise has been dormant on the film side since 2017's Power Rangers, which struggled both at the box office and in the eyes of critics. With the next iteration of movies in new hands due to the last film's poor performance, recasting has felt almost inevitable.
Many pivotal things are changing for Power Rangers right now. The bread and butter of the entity, the toys, are now being produced by Hasbro after Saban Brands ended their partnership with Bandai in 2019. Additionally, a new series - Power Rangers Dino Fury - is headed to Nickelodeon in 2021; that show will also feature a brand new cast, which has yet to be announced. Still, the franchise's best shot at connecting with a larger audience is through live-action movies.
After the failure of 2017, a new cast is what comes next. The Illuminerdi reports that as it currently stands, the next group of Power Rangers will likely be new ones. That's certainly subject to change, as the Paramount Pictures film is in pre-production, a state it will probably stay in for a prolonged period as the coronavirus pandemic continues to shape Hollywood.
Not only will there be a new cast of characters, but the shape of the team is also expected to be different than what franchise fans may be accustomed to seeing. While a male character has often led the Power Rangers, the new film is said to be focused on casting a female main character. They are also trying to look at a diverse pool of candidates, particularly in the realms of race and sexuality, while also considering expanding the team beyond its historic five-person limit.
With Paramount taking the reins from Lionsgate, the next version of Power Rangers promises to be very different - the question is whether or not it will be more successful. The 2017 reboot featured big names (although the only famous Power Ranger was singer Becky G), but still lost around $74 million at the box office and garnered a 50 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Its failure prematurely ended an arc that was expected to consist of around six films, a big hit to the franchise. A new group of heroes may be just the touch needed to bring Power Rangers back to its former state of glory.
Source: The Illuminerdi