Latest Updates on Power Rangers: A Fresh Start
Time for Power Rangers to Transform into a Fresh Concept
The Power Rangers have been zipping around for decades, but the recent scene's been chaotic. While the Boom! comics have been chugging along for nearly a decade, centered on the Mighty Morphin era with a rotating crew of creators, Hasbro hasn't been making much noise with the larger property. Yet, a fresh wind might be blowing for the Rangers. Let's delve into the deets, shall we?
Earlier this week, Hasbro revealed it had handed over the Power Rangers toyline to Playmates, a company that's previously churned out third-party merchandise for properties like Ben 10, Frozen, and Godzilla vs. Kong. Come 2025, the first wave of Mighty Morphin toys, specially designed for the younger generation, will hit the shelves. Playmates will also be given the rights to manufacture any cross-category products (such as toys, plush, vehicles, etc.) globally, excluding Asia. Hasbro, on the other hand, will retain all entertainment rights for the Power Rangers brand as a whole, managing non-toy merchandise like fashion, publishing, and video games or movies.
Casey Collins, Hasbro's president for licensed consumer products, praised Playmates as the perfect match to expand the Power Rangers franchise. The goal, Collins explained, is to showcase more Rangers-related content at events like San Diego Comic-Con or through their Hasbro Pulse channel, thus creating a unique play and collecting experience for fans of all ages. Moreover, Playmates' past ability to create affordable products that rejuvenated several iconic brands suggests the current situation might be a nod to Hasbro's handling of Power Rangers being less than impressive.
Meanwhile, in the comics, the Mighty Morphin series is gearing up for a grand finale after an impressive eight-year run. In July, the original teenagers with attitude will go head-to-head with Dark Specter in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour, penned by Melissa Flores, Simona Di Gianfelice, and Raúl Angulo. This final battle will reportedly feature some returning friends and enemies, culminating in unforeseen consequences. Flores viewed writing the finale as "one of the biggest tasks of my career...I hope the ending is as satisfying for the reader as it was for me to write it!"
As for Boom! Studios, they're still committed to creating Power Rangers comics when the ongoing event wraps up. They've hinted at some exciting announcements that will drop over the next couple of months, some of which will be revealed at San Diego Comic-Con in late July. There's been chatter of a widespread reboot for quite some time now, but whether these new comics and toys are a part of these plans remains to be seen.
In March 2025, it was revealed that a brand-new live-action Power Rangers series was in the works for Disney+, produced by Hasbro Entertainment and 20th Television. The series will be led by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz, the masterminds behind Percy Jackson and the Olympians, who are in talks to pen, produce, and run the series. This reboot seeks to entice a new audience while respecting the franchise's roots for long-term fans[1][2][5].
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- In 2025, technology will introduce the first wave of Mighty Morphin toys designed for the younger generation, a collaboration between Hasbro and Playmates, as revealed earlier this week.
- Playmates, known for their work on toys for properties like Ben 10 and Frozen, will also manufacture cross-category products for the Power Rangers franchise, except in Asia, starting from 2025.
- Io9, a reputable source for news on various sci-fi and fantasy properties, hints at a possible wide-scale reboot of Power Rangers in 2025, as both new toys and comics might be part of the plan, though this hasn't been officially confirmed.
- By 2025, the future of Power Rangers promises exciting collaborations in the toy industry, potential reboots in comics, and a new live-action series on Disney+, providing a fresh start for the iconic franchise.
