With a new generation of Power Rangers comes a new generation of villains and teammates for audiences of all ages to get acquainted with. In the case of Dacre Montgomery's Jason Scott / Red Ranger, we'll not only get to know him personally during his quest to become one of Earth's greatest heroes, but we'll also get to know the father that helps keep him grounded.
THR reported the casting of David Denman, best known for his role as Roy on the U.S. version of The Office, as Sam Scott – Jason's father. In his official character description, Sam is described as "at odds" with Jason's football career, so it can only be imagined how he'd respond once he found out about his son's habit of saving the world. The role comes after we've seen Denman in such films as The Gift and 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.
With his role in the Power Rangers reboot, David Denman will be able to plum further depths when it comes to playing a dramatic role. Considering the character of Jason has suffered a car accident that's sidelined his promising career as a football player, you can already see why Sam would have any sort of objection to anything that may jeopardize his son's well-being. Even if the doctors have cleared him for playing football, one wrong injury and Sam could have a very different son coming off the field than the boy that went on it. This only adds to the emotional component of the film, and gives Denman a role that helps anchor this potential blockbuster.
This new Power Rangers reboot continues to sound much more serious than the original series ever took itself, and casting David Denman is certainly a step in the right direction. With his recent resume choices, he's continued to distance himself from the role on the successful American remake of The Office, where he played the original fiance to Jenna Fischer's Pam. Again, taking into account the film reboot's focus on balancing "real-life issues" with those of a more gigantic and monstrous variety, Denman's performance as Jason's dad will be one that makes the audience identify with one of their heroes on a more personal level. Not many films of this ilk choose to focus on aspects like this, though considering that Power Rangers is being directed by Project Almanac's Dean Israelite, there's still a chance that spectacle might win out by a healthy margin.
Power Rangers is currently scheduled for a March 24, 2017 release date.
