Like other reboots, March's Power Rangers promised to put a fresh spin on the material that came before, and it succeeded in revamping the original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers TV series for a new generation. However, the chances of Power Rangers 2 happening aren't looking good right now. Last week, the reboot opened dismally in China, and it didn't fare much better during its domestic run. Given that Power Rangers hasn't made that ideal amount of money worldwide, some are predicting that a sequel won't be ordered. This isn't a 100% guarantee yet, but the future isn't looking good for the teenagers with attitude right now.
It'd be naive to think that Power Rangers 2 isn't facing an uphill battle to be made, but we've come up with some reasons why the studios should push forward with the sequel and keep the Powers Rangers mythology going on the big screen for at least a little longer. Starting off, let's turn our attention to the legendary character the first movie teased at the very end.
Warning: SPOILERS for Power Rangers are ahead!
The Green Ranger Storyline
Power Rangers ended with nearly all of its loose ends tied up, but there was one notable tease for a potential sequel. In the mid-credits scene, the teacher in charge of detention announced that Tommy Oliver would be joining the group, but when the camera panned to Tommy's spot, only a green jacket was hanging on the chair. Tommy becoming the Green Ranger in Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers was arguably the series' most compelling storyline, so if Power Rangers 2 is greenlit (pun unintended), you can bet that we'll see that arc adapted. Remember, Rita Repulsa doesn't have the Green Power Coin anymore, making it ripe for the taking. Power Rangers' plot was decent, but if the sequel can bring in the Green Ranger, have him (or her) fight the team and find redemption at the end, that is already a great step towards making this blockbuster better than its predecessor.
More Actual Ranger Time
Power Rangers was an origin story, so while we learned a lot about Jason, Trini, Billy, Kimberly and Zack, the protagonists didn't spend that much time in their suits. In fact, they only fought hand-to-hand for a couple minutes, and the rest of their actual Ranger time was spent piloting the Zords to fight Rita and Goldar. Now that they know how to morph, Power Rangers 2 doesn't have any excuse to not give the Rangers more time fighting the bad guys, both on the ground and in the Zords. Yes, that will mean increasing the budget, which admittedly sounds like a crazy idea given how underwhelming Power Rangers' commercial performance was. But if the sequel's previews can do a good job advertising that there will be significantly more Ranger action, that will hopefully draw a lot more people to theaters.
Lord Zedd
A Power Rangers 2 villain hasn't been confirmed yet, but looking at the baddies from the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers days, it would be foolish not to follow up Rita Repulsa with Lord Zedd. Late last year, it was reported that Rita would try to steal the Zeo Crystal in Power Rangers for her master, Zedd, who burned off half his face attempting to steal it himself. This didn't end up happening, but during the movie, Rita told Jason that others would come to Earth for the Crystal. That's enough set up to bring in Zedd as either Rita's master or someone who kept tabs on her for Power Rangers 2. More importantly, while Elizabeth Banks did a tremendous job hamming it up as Rita, the space witch didn't really work with the overall tone of the reboot, Zedd, on the other hand, can be a much better fit for this "grounded" environment if they lean on how intimidating he can be, thus increasing the chances of Power Rangers 2 being a better movie.
Lionsgate Needs A Big Franchise
At the moment, Lionsgate doesn't have a popular franchise that can be enjoyed by both younger and older moviegoers. Twilight and The Hunger Games once filled that role, but they concluded years ago, and even if the Divergent series wasn't currently in flux, it hasn't been the critical darling that the studio hoped for. Power Rangers, while not without its issues, is Lionsgate's best opportunity to capitalize on an existing property and stretch it past just one movie. That's not to say already plotting out a six movie arc is a wise decision, but at the very least, the studio needs to give the Power Rangers another shot. The first movie drew enough critical interest that a sequel could solidify whether or not the Power Rangers have a future as a franchise. If a sequel fails, then fine, don't order a third movie, but if it succeeds, then Lionsgate has that reliable family-friendly franchise to lean on for a while.
The Toys
Ticket sales are obviously important to determine a movie's financial success or failure, but they're not the only measurement that can be applied. With kid-friendly fare, toy sales also need to be factored in, and Power Rangers offers that in spades. Action figures, weapons, Megazords, vehicles that don't even show up in the movie, Power Rangers is the kind of property that thrives on selling toys to the young'uns who aren't old enough to see the PG-13 reboot and the older fans who are eager to display their love of this Mighty Morphin' mythology. It's unclear whether the toy sales from Power Rangers will be enough to boost the movie's commercial performance, but if they did sell like hotcakes, then Lionsgate and Saban can't pass up the opportunity to make a sequel that will peddle even more toys to the masses.
This poll is no longer available.
