According to THR, the young Power Rangers cast is pushing for an intriguing change in the sequel: making the iconic Green Ranger female.
Dacre Montgomery, the new Red Ranger, said, "A lot of the cast and I have discussed that we think it should be a girl. It makes it even three girls, three boys.”
The Power Rangers post-credit scene foreshadows the Green Ranger storyline heavily. The film's director Dean Israelite said, "It teased up the direction of what the next movie could be. For people that know the brand, it’s super exciting. There are so many ideas we’re kicking around in the direction of where the film leads you."
SPOILERS AHOY FOR THE POST-CREDITS SCENE:
In the post-credits scene, the teacher in detention repeatedly calls Tommy Oliver’s name as the camera cuts to a green coat left sitting on an empty chair. Tommy Oliver: they’re on their way, y’all.
— POWER⚡️RANGERS (@PowerRangers) March 23, 2017
Fans of the ‘90s show will remember the Green Ranger’s iconic mind control plotline that sees the mysterious figure fighting against the Power Rangers at first, before the Green Ranger becomes the White Ranger and starts dating the Pink Ranger. In fact, in the new Power Rangers movie, actor Jason David Frank (who played Oliver) appeared alongside Amy Jo Johnson (original Pink Ranger) in a final battle cameo.
“It’s left blank. It’s a cliffhanger. Whoever you’re going to drop into that position — whether it’s a girl, it’s inevitably going to create drama. It’ll be interesting to drop that drama into it and see how we all relate to it and work with it," said Montgomery.
For what it’s worth, even if the Green Ranger does get swapped to female, and even if her plot is otherwise left intact, there’s no way I could ever see that even Power Rangers would keep her love story with the Pink Ranger. If she’s even a she, then she’ll date one of the boys. While we’re at it, since the Green Ranger’s Zord literally rises from the ocean like a kaiju, might we carry that inspiration forward into a Japanese Green Ranger?
Well, better not hope for too much. A female Green Ranger would be an awesome reinvention of an awesome, iconic character. I’ll enjoy a good ol’ male Green Ranger too, just as I did in the original show, but I’m never against creative tweaks to a character that keep their essence intact.
What do you think about a female Green Ranger? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below.
