It's morphin' time, people, as those of us who grew up with the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers will soon get to see them brought back to movie theaters with a big budget Hollywood reboot. With that increased budget comes the prestige of actors like Elizabeth Banks, who will portray the villainess Rita Repulsa, and Bryan Cranston, now cast as the Power Rangers' leader, Zordon. However, despite the excitement, Cranston has had to deal with some controversy in recent weeks regarding comments he once made about the Power Rangers character named after him. In response to his allegedly offensive remarks, the former Breaking Bad star has made a formal apology in an attempt to smooth things over.
According to NBC OUT, actor Bryan Cranston has formally apologized and accepted responsibility for allegedly offending original Blue Ranger, David Yost. This controversy arose due to the resurfacing of a 2009 interview in which Cranston reportedly referred to Yost's character, Billy Cranston, as the "fey" member of the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers ensemble. Yost, a gay actor in real life, took issue with the remark and vocally spoke out against the actor, who has been cast as the giant floating head Zordon in the reboot. Bryan Cranston claims to have no memory of making the comment, but still has expressed his sincere apologies for the offensive remark. Said Cranston in an official statement:
To be honest, I don't remember saying that. But I accept that I may have as Mr. Yost suggests, in an attempt at humor. To hear that my impulsive comment hurt someone's feelings, makes me contrite. I accept responsibility for the thoughtless remark and apologize to Mr. Yost and anyone else who may have been offended.
It's not hard to understand why Bryan Cranston's comments would offend David Yost when you have a stronger understanding of Yost's own experience on the Power Rangers set. During his time on the cast of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Yost reportedly suffered abuse at the hands of some members of the cast and crew. As a closeted actor during the series' original run, he had to deal with constant homophobic remarks, and the mistreatment has never quite sat well with him. As Cranston noted in the statement, Yost has said that he doesn't think Cranston was intentionally trying to be offensive with his comments, but that doesn't change the way these words made him feel when he read them.
Regardless of this controversy, it hasn't tempered our excitement for the upcoming Power Rangers movie in any way. Bryan Cranston has consistently proven himself as one of the most skilled actors working today, and we have no doubt that he will elevate the character of Zordon to new heights.
We will keep you up to date with any and all information related to the upcoming Power Rangers movie as it becomes available to us. The long awaited reboot will blast into theaters next year on March 24, 2017.
