With the 30th anniversary of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers looming, Netflix has announced it will film a 44-minute reunion special that will reunite some of the original cast members.
Reuniting The Power Rangers
So far, David Yost, who played Billy Cranston, is the only member confirmed to return. The original series also starred: Austin St. John as Jason Lee Scott/Red Ranger; Amy Jo Johnson as Kimberly Hart/Pink Ranger; Walter Emanuel Jones as Zach Taylor/Black Ranger; Jason David Frank as Tommy Oliver/ Green Ranger; David Fielding as Zordon; Sandi Sellner (physical performance) and Richard Steven Horvitz (voice) as Alpha-5; Paul Schrier as Farkas “Bulk” Bulkmeier; Jason Narvy as Eugene “Skull” Skullovitch; and Machiko Soga as Rita Repulsa.
Original cast members Thuy Trang, who played Trini Quan, the Yellow Ranger, and Richard Genelle, who played Ernie, have passed away.
Midway through the second season, St. John, Jones, and Trang left the series. They were replaced by: Steve Cardenas as Rocky DeSantos, the new Red Ranger; Johnny Yong Bosch as Adam Park, the new Black Ranger; and Karan Ashley as Aisha Campbell, the new Yellow Ranger. These new Rangers starred in the theatrical film adaptation. Johnson left the show toward the end of Season 3. Catherine Sutherland replaced her as Katherine “Kat” Hillard.
Robert L. Manahan later replaced Fielding as the voice of Zordon, and Carla Perez took over the role of Rita Repulsa.
Where Are They Now
It’s unsure whether this reunion special will include the later cast members. Most of them are very active in the fandom. Sutherland and Nakia Burisse, who joined the cast in its second incarnation, Power Rangers Zeo, as Tanya Sloan, the Yellow Ranger (she replaced Ashley) host a podcast dedicated to the Power Rangers franchise. And the cast members of every season of Power Rangers are always top draws at fan conventions.
Yost is confirmed to be returning for the 30th season of Power Rangers which will be released on Netflix, marking a significant shift for the franchise, which has been airing on Disney XD for a few years now. In recent years, Yost has revealed that he was bullied on the set of Power Rangers because he was gay.
Johnson spent years avoiding any association with the brand but has recently embraced the fanbase. It’s also known among us fans that Frank and St. John don’t get along, so this should be interesting.
Several members of the original cast reunited over Zoom during the quarantine, but this special will likely draw a larger audience on Netflix and will have higher production value.
The 30th anniversary season is expected to be a finale for the Power Rangers franchise as we know it. Jonathan Entwistle will be overseeing the brand when it relaunches.
Are you looking forward to a Power Rangers reunion special?
