Warning: MAJOR spoilers ahead for Power Rangers. Don't read any further if you do not want to know about these massive cameos!
Like many of you, I grew up with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. These heroes played a major part in my childhood, and their faces have become etched into the most nostalgic corners of my memory. Because of that nostalgia, I was not sure if I actually saw Amy Jo Johnson (the original Pink Ranger), and Jason David Frank (the original Green Ranger) as Angel Grove citizens when I recently sat down to watch Dean Israelite's Power Rangers, or if my brain was playing tricks on me. Luckily, I had the chance to ask Israelite for clarification, and he admitted that these two Power Rangers icons definitely do appear in the film. He explained:
Yeah, you saw them. ... Those were really the two that we thought were important to put in there and you know obviously we're teasing something at the end that relates to [Tommy] so it sort of all felt organic.
The entirety of Dean Israelite's Power Rangers seems like a significant passing of the torch moment for the franchise, and the appearance of the original Kimberly Hart and Tommy Oliver helps reinforce that idea. Their cameos in the film are also important because, as the director points out, the ending of the movie teases future storylines for Tommy in the newly rebooted series. By including the classic Tommy and Kimberly (they go hand-in-hand because that is one on-screen romance that we will never get tired of) the franchise hands itself off to a new generation of heroes to inhabit these roles in a way that feels incredibly poetic.
Beyond that, it is just great to see these two actors again after so many years away from the franchise, even if they appear sans those 90s headbands.
Of course, one of the interesting aspects of the new film is the fact that Tommy Oliver does not actually appear. Although Naomi Scott has taken over the role of Kimberly from Amy Jo Johnson, Tommy is only referenced by name once during the film's mid-credits scene. Although Dean Israelite did not provide any specific details during my conversation with him, it very much feels like a future Power Rangers movie could easily adapt the four-part "Green With Evil" storyline that brought Tommy into the fold. That would be a dream come true for any self-respecting fan of the old series.
Power Rangers will morph its way into theaters later this month on March 24. For more information related to the rest of 2017's highly anticipated movie debuts, click here to check out our comprehensive movie release schedule! For a better look at the teenagers with attitude in action, check out a trailer for Power Rangers on the next page!
