Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always, the reunion special on Netflix, releases a full trailer that showcases the return of Rita Repulsa and the death of one of their own.
Ever since the first Power Rangers TV series debuted in 1993, it has become a global phenomenon and pop culture franchise. The idea of combining American teen sitcom tropes with scenes from Japanese superhero series (aka Super Sentai) seems ridiculous, but one cannot argue with the success of the Power Rangers franchise.
While the franchise has been passed around from one corporate hand to another (from Saban Entertainment, to Disney, and to its current owner Hasbro), the Power Rangers remains a fan-favorite brand, comparable to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Transformers.
The bittersweet reunion movie brings back most of the old cast from the first Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
Once a ranger, always a ranger!
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always premieres April 19! pic.twitter.com/kEDrEr85EO
— Netflix (@netflix) March 22, 2023
David Yost as the Blue Ranger Billy Cranston and Walter Jones as the Black Ranger Zack Taylor return from the original team, while Catherine Sutherland as the Pink Ranger Kat Hillard and Steve Cardenas as the Red Ranger Rocky DeSantos hail from the Ranger team from later seasons. Richard Steven Horvitz and Barbara Goodson also return to voice Alpha 5 and Rita Repulsa, respectively.
Karan Ashley as Aisha Campbell and Johnny Yong Bosch as Adam Park will also be appearing, but curiously not as the Yellow Ranger and Black Ranger. Ashley and Bosch, along with Steve Cardenas, were the new Rangers who were introduced in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers second season episodes The Power Transfer Parts 1 and 2.
Plus, there is one key character from the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers that will be making an appearance: the Yellow Ranger Trini Kwan. What is interesting about this is the actress who portrayed her, Thuy Trang, died in an accident back in 2001. The reunion film will apparently be exploring her character’s own demise at the hands of their resurrected arch-enemy Rita Repulsa.
It also appears Trini has a daughter named Minh Kwan, which will be played by Charlie Kersh. Some fans have speculated that Minh will take over as the new Yellow Ranger, as the trailer shows later scenes of someone in the uniform joining the others in battle.
One other interesting detail revealed in the trailer is the appearance of the Green Ranger. As fans of the Power Rangers franchise know, this was Tommy Oliver who was played by the late Jason David Frank, who tragically passed away in 2022.
The actor and martial artist was the longest-serving Power Ranger, appearing in later seasons as the White Ranger, Red Zeo Ranger, Red Turbo Ranger, and the Black Dino Ranger. It is unclear whether the appearance of the Green Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always is a flashback or an unannounced cameo from JDF prior to his passing.
Fans will also notice that the original Pink Ranger Kimberly Ann Hart is absent from the trailer. Amy Jo Johnson who played Kimberly was reportedly unavailable during the Netflix production.
Netflix has also released an official synopsis of the reunion film:
In Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always, 30 years after the wise and powerful Zordon formed the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the team comes face-to-face with a familiar threat from the past. In the midst of a global crisis, they are called on once again to be the heroes the world needs. Inspired by the legendary mantra from the franchise "Once a Ranger, always a Ranger," Once & Always reminds everyone when you become a Ranger, you are always a part of the Ranger family and always welcome.
The 30th anniversary Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always debuts on the Netflix streaming service April 19, 2023.
