Summary
Mighty Morphin Power Rangersis the most iconic part of the saga, but thePower Rangersuniverse is much more than just Zordon and his pupils. Following the reported cancelation of the long-rumoredNetflixPower Rangersreboot, I’m interested to see what the next series will be afterPower RangersCosmic Fury’s ending. 2024 marked the first year without a newPower Rangersseason since 2010, during which only a re-edited ofMighty Morphinaired. A hiatus can be good news forPower Rangersgiven and allow the show to reinvent itself, but the franchise needs more than justMighty Morphin.
Mighty Morphin, also known asMMPR, premiered 31 years ago in August 1993. Since then, multiple actors and characters have becomePower Rangers. The American series has followed the structure of theSuper Sentaishows for the most part, with each annual season featuring new characters and a new motif.EveryPower Rangersseason has aSuper Sentaicounterpart, with some being more popular than others. While every fan has their favorite season,Mighty Morphinis the common denominator forPower Rangersand has informed the saga’s most important projects for three decades.
15 Best Power Rangers Episodes I Never Get Tired Of Watching
Some of the best Power Rangers episodes still hold up many years later, from the introduction of all-time favorite characters to major crossovers.
Mighty Morphin Has Been The Focus Of Power Rangers For Too Long
Mighty Morphin Power Rangershas set the tone for the franchise for over 30 years now, even though the original show ended in 1995 and only got a legacy sequel in 2023 with Once & Always. Naturally, seasons like Zeo andTurbowere very much aMighty Morphinsequel featuring most of the cast of the original series who were still on the show. That said,Power Rangershas released plenty of seasons since the end of the Zordon Era, none of which are directly tied toMighty Morphin. However,MMPRcontinues to be the face of the franchise.
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There is no question thatMighty Morphinis the most recognizable property withinPower Rangersand should often be front and center. Still,MMPRhas been the focus of the franchise for too long. From newer seasons using portions of the“Go, Go, Power Rangers”theme in their intros to the comics,Power Rangerscontinues to rely on the popularity ofMMPR. Nostalgia has always been part ofPower Rangers, but this universe has more to offer than justMighty Morphin. I would like to see other seasons being in the spotlight too regarding new projects and adaptations.
Other Power Rangers Seasons Deserve The Same Love As Mighty Morphin
Some Of The Greatest Power Rangers Stories Came After MMPR
ThePower Rangerschronology currently includes 30 seasons, of which the first three areMighty Morphin. Even when considering that Zeo and the first half ofTurboare essentiallyMighty Morphinwith different costumes, the vast majority ofPower Rangers’ seasons have nothing to do with Zordon’s original team. Having watched the 1995Power Rangersmovie hundreds of times and countless reruns of the first three seasons, I’m a massiveMMPRfan. That said, some of thebestPower Rangerscharactersand episodes only came years after the first three seasons.
Mighty Morphinis almost a franchise of its own compared toPower Rangers, which doesn’t mean other seasons can’t shine too.
For example,Power Rangersin Spaceis widely considered one of the best entries in the franchise, if not the best. AlthoughIn Spacewas still part of the Zordon Era, it moved the show away from Angel Grove and proved thatPower Rangerscould break free of its original formula. Lost Galaxy did something similar, this time with no connections to the previous seasons at all other than the return of the In Space Rangers and the Astro Megaship.Seasons likeLost Galaxy,Lightspeed Rescue, andTime Forcewere all impactfulin their own way.
The popularity of thePower Rangersseasons released in the 21st century arguably cannot compare to how massiveMighty Morphinwas in the 1990s. Still, they all created their own legacy within the franchise and brought in new generations of fans year after year. Despite all its flaws,Power Rangershas had a rich shared universe for three decades. This is why I would love to see other seasons being revisited more often in crossovers, reunions, games, and comics.Mighty Morphinis almost a franchise of its own compared toPower Rangers, which doesn’t mean other seasons can’t shine too.
How Mighty Morphin Became A Franchise Of Its Own Within Power Rangers
Power Rangers Never Outgrew Its First Three Seasons
An American localized version of a Japanese TV show about superheroes in colorful costumes fighting monsters every week could have gone terribly. However,Mighty Morphinworked incredibly well. Based on Zyuranger, the series quickly became a phenomenon and made sure that the once risky project would now become a consistent franchise. AlthoughPower Rangershas had hiatuses and other issues before, the franchise has been around for over 30 years, and much of this success traces back to the popularity of the original show. The originalPower Rangerscharacters are the perfect example of this phenomenon.
Not many people may be aware of who Ransik or Taylor are, yet even those who are not majorPower Rangersfans will be familiar with Rita Repulsa or Tommy Oliver. Even thoughthere are hundreds of Power Rangers in canon, the first team will forever be the franchise’s most iconic in terms of impact and popularity. The lateJason David Frank played Tommy Oliverin multiple seasons and cameos, with other stars such as David Yost and Walter Emanuel Jones also reprising their roles. That’s not to mention the second-generation characters such as Adam and Rocky.
I’m Tired Of Mighty Morphin, But I Would Be Interested In A Reboot
Mighty Morphin Could Still Make For Fun New Interpretations
It is almost paradoxical that, despite how muchPower Rangershas focused onMighty Morphinfor 30 years, the original series was never properly rebooted or remade. The only exception is the 2017Power Rangersmovie, which was a very different take on the world ofMighty Morphin. Given the popularity ofMMPR, there is room forPower Rangersto try to reinvent the series for a new generation in exciting ways. BOOM! Studios’Power Rangerscomics are a great example of how to combine nostalgia with new ideas and characters.
Power Rangers(2017) grossed $142 million on a $100 million budget.
I would love to seePower Rangerstry different formats and media in a potentialMMPRreboot. For example, an animatedPower Rangersseries based on the first three seasons would be an incredible way of rebooting the original show. An adaptation of the comics would also be a very exciting project, particularly if meant bringing stories like Shattered Grid to the screen in either live-action or animation form.Power Rangers(2017) may have flopped at the box office, but the team formed by Jason, Trini, Zack, Billy, Kimberly, and Tommy can still shine in other interpretations.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Cast
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers marks the beginning of the Power Rangers franchise, centering on a group of teenagers with attitude who transform into superheroes. They are tasked with defending Angel Grove from the evil witch Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd, Emperor of evil, along with their monstrous minions.
