Power Rangers: Dino Fury Takes Franchise Back to Its Roots
Power Rangers: Dino Fury star Chance Perez says the new show takes the franchise back to its roots. The Power Rangers have long been a staple in the world of children's entertainment. The franchise began with the show Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in 1993. Though some initially argued the action wasn't appropriate for kids, the series made it past that initial hurdle. As of 2021, it's led to 28 seasons with 21 different themes. The Power Rangers have also made their way to the big screen for three movies released in 1995, 1997, and 2017.
Despite its age, the Power Rangers franchise remains successful today. A shared universe is even on the way, which will incorporate both movies and TV shows. The newest Power Rangers season is subtitled Dino Fury and premiered on Nickelodeon in February 2021. It follows a new team of Rangers whose powers come from dinosaurs, an exciting return for the franchise. Power Rangers: Dino Fury features the Red (Russell Curry), Pink (Hunter Deno), Blue (Kai Moya), Green (Tessa Rao), and Black (Perez) Dino Fury Rangers. Rao's role is particularly exciting, as she's playing the first female Green Ranger.
Speaking with Screen Rant, Perez discussed Power Rangers: Dino Fury, specifically the way it goes back to the franchise's roots:
Chance, with your season going back to dinosaurs, what's something from the past seasons that you wish to explore in Dino Fury?
Chance Perez: I was just talking about this today. I had that exact question in my head, and I think something that's really cool about past Power Rangers is I feel like the heart of the show hasn't changed. Like you said, it incorporates friendship, it incorporates the environment, and just being good people and having those morals.
I think that Power Rangers should always stay true to that, and I think that our season does that really well. You can see the camaraderie, like in Mighty Morphin. You can see that friendship in them, as actors but also as their characters. We have that same thing here in our season, so I think that's pretty special.
Perez makes a great point about the appeal of the Power Rangers franchise. Audiences expect and appreciate certain elements, such as the camaraderie between the Rangers that the actor mentions. That friendship component is a part of every Power Rangers movie and show, and it's a big reason why viewers return for each project. The relationship between the Rangers has already played an important role in the first few episodes of Power Rangers: Dino Fury, and it's nice to hear that will continue throughout the rest of the season.
That dynamic staying the same in each Power Rangers project is also what allows new performers to come in and try their hand at playing the iconic Rangers. Even when the cast changes, there's an element of familiarity there for viewers to enjoy, which keeps them tuning in again and again. In that way, change is built into the DNA of the Power Rangers franchise, but not to its detriment. Instead, it keeps things fresh while still allowing new seasons like Power Rangers: Dino Fury to pay homage to its roots. Hopefully, that mindset continues in the other shared universe Power Rangers projects on the way.