Reboots come in all shapes and sizes these days, and one of the more exciting updates on a beloved property is the long awaited Power Rangers film that will finally debut later this month. The movie has already completely upended everything that we thought we knew about the Power Rangers universe and made some drastic changes to the lore along the way. One of the fascinating alterations made to the Power Rangers mythos is Rita Repulsa's (Elizabeth Banks) loyal henchman Goldar, and now it seems that the new film has made the gold-clad ape into an enormous monster controlled by Rita, rather than a fully fleshed-out character. Production designer Andrew Menzies explained:
Dean and I talked about him being faceless and intimidating and characterless. He's an extension of Rita that's unstoppable.
If you ever had any doubts that Power Rangers will change the existing Mighty Morphin Power Rangers mythology, then Andrew Menzies's recent remarks to EW should pretty much throw those notions out the window. Unlike the original Goldar, who was a loyal and reliable (albeit incredibly stupid) henchman for Rita Repulsa, the new Goldar is a giant kaiju-esque creature that is controlled by Rita herself. He also won't have his distinctive face, as the overall character design has changed to make him look like a fountain of molten gold resembling the rough outline of a human being.
Check out a shot of the updated Goldar below.
This change technically means that there is no "real" Goldar in the upcoming Power Rangers film -- at least not in the way that fans remember him. Since he's not going to get to showcase his usual humorous personality, it has us wondering whether or not other villainous characters like Squatt, Baboo and Finster will make an appearance as well. At this rate, it seems less and less likely as the release date approaches.
The fact that this version of Goldar won't have a personality of his own could be a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hand, it's an interesting change to the existing mythology, and it allows Rita to get in on the action more than she ever did in previous versions of the Power Rangers story. It also could help give us a much more compelling main antagonist in a genre that sometimes fails to deliver captivating bad guys, because other villains won't sideline Elizabeth Banks.
However, it also effectively guts one of the most popular Power Rangers characters and relegates him to nothing more than a mindless weapon. That's not something that typically turns out well in a superhero movie. Remember Bane from Batman & Robin? Let's hope it doesn't turn out like that.
Power Rangers will morph its way into theaters later this month on March 24.
For a better glimpse at what Power Rangers is going to do with this iconic character, check out the latest trailer for the upcoming reboot on the next page!
