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Credit: Saban / NetflixThe trailer for the upcoming Netflix special Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always (2023) is finally here. But while there are a handful of surprises in the new Power Rangers reboot trailer, there’s one that will likely leave some fans shocked.
The brand-new reboot serves as a reunion between a number of actors from the franchise’s heyday, marking the 30 year anniversary since the insanely popular kids show Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993) first arrived on our television screens.
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As you’ll see in the trailer, Once & Always stars David Yost, Walter Jones, Catherine Sutherland, Steve Cardenas, Karan Ashley, and Johnny Yong Bosch, who are reprising their roles as Power Rangers Billy Cranston, Zack Taylor, Katherine Hillard, Rocky DeSantos, Aisha Campbell, and Adam Park, respectively, and Barbara Goodson and Richard Horvits, who are back as Rita Repulsa/Robo Rita, and Alpha 5.
Now, check out the brand-new trailer below:
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While the new film looks very exciting, and will undoubtedly please many diehard Power Rangers fans, there’s no denying that it’s also very bittersweet. Firstly, Jason David Frank, best known for portraying Green Ranger/White Ranger Tommy Oliver, won’t appear in the film. The beloved icon sadly passed away late last year after taking his own life.
Secondly, another fan-favorite Power Ranger also won’t be appearing. Amy Jo Johnson, who played Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart alongside Frank in the original series and the big screen adaptation Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995), confirmed a few months ago that she would not be reprising her role in the anniversary special.
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And lastly, actress Thuy Trang, who played Yellow Ranger Trini Kwan in the original series, tragically died in a car accident in 2001. However, as the trailer reveals, the film will lean heavily into Thuy’s passing, as it features a scene in which Rita Repulsa (Barbara Goodson) seemingly kills Trini (who is, of course, wearing her Yellow Ranger costume at the time).
This will likely come as a shock to many fans, while some might even consider the plot to be insensitive. But this isn’t the first time a franchise has explained the absence of a deceased actor within the narrative — Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) did the same thing following the passing of Harold Ramis, by killing off his character Egon Spengler in the opening scene.
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Newcomer Charlie Kersh also appears in the trailer, playing Trini’s daughter Minh, who teams up with legacy Power Rangers Billy Cranston, Zack Taylor, Katherine Hillard, Rocky DeSantos, Aisha Campbell, and Adam Park, to avenge her mother’s death.
Fans of the original show will also be thrilled to see the return of the Power Rangers’ hub the Command Center, android Alpha 5, evil henchmen the Putties, and, of course, the Zords.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always premiers on Netflix on April 19, 2023. As per Netflix, here’s the official synopsis:
After tragedy strikes, an unlikely young hero takes her rightful place among the Power Rangers to face off against the team’s oldest archnemesis.
Once & Always isn’t the only upcoming project fans can look forward to. While not a Power Rangers film per se, Jason David Frank‘s last project, titled Legend of the White Dragon (2023), stars Frank as the titular White Dragon and former Power Rangers Jason Faunt, Johnny Yong Bosch, and Ciara Hanna.
The film is expected to get a theatrical release in September to coincide with the actor’s 50th birthday. Check out the trailer below:
Will you be watching Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!