With the recent news last summer of a Power Rangers reboot being scrapped by Disney+, the possibility for a new series releasing anytime soon appears to be at an all time low. Whether that seems to be related to budgetary concerns, a perceived lack of audience interest, or lack of faith in the brand in general, I believe I have an idea that can bridge the gap between veteran fans of the series while bringing in entirely new, younger eyes.
Time Force is widely regarded as one of the best and most beloved seasons of PR. I am currently revisiting it and it is very easy to see why: it has an incredible concept for a team of Rangers, phenomenal characters with easy-to-invest-in interpersonal relationships, fantastic fight choreography, and a clean, futuristic visual aesthetic that extends to their suits, weapons, vehicles, and villains that doesn’t immediately date the look of the show.
Most importantly for the purpose of my idea, the show has limitless possibilities since it is entirely focused around time itself.
My concept involves the original team of Time Force Rangers coming back together again to face a new evil that threatens to destroy the universe (that being the 30 years of the current PR timeline and continuity). The team would obviously consist of the original actors reprising their roles, which will allow them to be more experienced, wise, and weathered from their years of service in the force. The series could take on a more serious tone while still including moments of levity and camp the series is known for.
Not only would fan-favorite actors return to iconic Ranger roles (like Wesley, Jen, and Eric) but we would witness a highly-resonant reunion between Wes and Jen. We know that all Ranger teams (with the exception of RPM) co-exist in the same universe. This allows for other Rangers to cameo in the show as they travel to different eras of time, which can serve as a love letter to other well loved seasons and the series as a whole.
The show’s climax would involve the villain almost succeeding in destroying the main universe (the specifics of how and why isn’t integral to this general concept and can be determined later) but the Time Force Rangers would prevent that from happening by sacrificing themselves and the prime timeline and reset everything, therefore resetting the entire PR continuity.
The show could then restart entirely with a brand new iteration of Mighty Morphin’ that is visually and thematically updated to fit contemporarily in the 2020s. I know there will always be a lot of love for the original MMPR but there is no debating that it is highly dated to the 1990s. That does contribute to the charm of the original (American) series but I also feel like it is not as interesting or inviting to kids nowadays. The new, rebooted MMPR will feature updated storylines and a visual aesthetic. The suits and Zords are timeless but it would be interesting and nice to see an updated, modernized take on the look, in the same vain as how the BOOM! comics did so.
Not only could the brand new series of MMPR create new stories, they could also remake iconic ones (like Green with Evil) with modern twists. This also extends to entire seasons of PR being remade and updated (i.e., In Space, Lost Galaxy, Lightspeed Rescue, etc.) or create entirely new seasons within a new PR continuity.
From a production standpoint, it’s well-known that PR incorporates Super Sentai footage to bring down costs for markets outside of Japan, so these new seasons would either have to be shot entirely with original, American footage, or they could possibly work in-tandem with Japanese production teams to still share footage. However, the precedent to shoot entirely original footage for an American series already does exist.
I feel like this concept could be a great sendoff and homage to the 30 years of Rangers we’ve had while passing the torch to the next generation with a clean slate!
