Hasbro confirms that a Power Rangers cinematic universe is on the way that will span television, films, and many other forms of entertainment.
Hasbro confirmed during their 2021 Investor Event that they are planning to reinvent the iconic Power Rangers franchise after Power Rangers Dino Fury with a new era that will be “creating a new universe for a broader audience across film, premium TV, animation & kids content”.
It was previously reported back in July of last year that Hasbro would be ending their partnership with Japan's Toei, the makers of the Super Sentai series, of which footage has been used in Power Rangers throughout the years. It was also reported that Paramount was developing a new Power Rangers theatrical film. This would conclude the current iteration of the Power Rangers series as it has been for 28 years with Power Rangers Dino Fury, which was officially confirmed to have two seasons according to the Hasbro Investor Event.
This of course isn’t the end of the world-famous franchise as a whole, because Hasbro plans to completely reinvent the brand with new film and TV content across the same expanded universe.
Further expressed is the fact that End of the F***ing World and I Am Not Okay With This creator and director Jonathan Entwistle will be assuming a creative leadership role in the vein of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Kevin Feige. This was confirmed Hasbro and eOne back in October of last year.
Hasbro acquired the iconic Power Rangers franchise from Saban Brands back in 2018 in the wake of the failed attempt to expand the series into a greater cinematic universe. No doubt a franchise as rich as Power Rangers has the potential to expand. Across comics, series, and action figures, the world of Power Rangers is vast, and with adult fans as well as new generations of little kids coming up every few years, there's an audience for a range of content. Hasbro seems to be addressing the reboot holistically, reinventing the franchise in major ways.
The shift away from Toei could signal a greater detachment from the "tokusatsu" tropes that made the franchise so unique here in the States. It's too early to tell where Hasbro plans to take Power Rangers, but between divorcing the series from its roots in Super Sentai and bringing in a director of more adult content, it seems that the cinematic, multi-platform universe will be quite unlike anything we've seen before.
With Hasbro completely reimagining the franchise, this definitely seems to mean that there will be a lot more content for fans to enjoy once this transition is fully put in place.
As of the writing of this article, there has been no comment for the continuation in their partnership with Boom! Studios for the Power Rangers comics. However, considering Boom! and Hasbro’s strong partnership so far, and with the launch of two new Power Rangers comic series, it's difficult to see Boom! Studios going anywhere in the foreseeable future.
Also not mentioned as of the writing of this article is if they would renew their contract with Nickelodeon for future franchise-related projects after 2021. They did mention frequently that Hasbro is not committed to one network or streaming service and has the ability to go wherever they see fit, however. This comment was meant for Hasbro as a whole, but it could potentially have an effect on the series later down the line. However, Nickelodeon and Hasbro's eOne are currently co-producing a new, currently untitled Transformers animated series.
One thing that will more than likely be unaffected will be the Power Rangers Lightning Collection toyline. The Lightning Collection has been a huge success for Hasbro thus far and therefore there seems to be no reason to discontinue that line. There shouldn’t be any rights issues with Toei, as it is understood that Hasbro will retain the rights to all previously aired Power Rangers seasons that used Super Sentai footage.
Overall, it seems that Hasbro has a decent long-term plan for Power Rangers.
What are your thoughts on the future of Power Rangers? Are you looking forward to what Hasbro has in store for the franchise? Let me know in the comments below!
Power Rangers Dino Fury airs Saturdays at 8:00 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon!
Sources: The Illuminerdi, ScreenRant.
For more on Power Rangers, please visit www.powerrangers.com and follow Power Rangers on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
More Nick: Nickelodeon to Premiere 'Power Rangers Dino Fury' on Saturday, February 20, 2021!
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