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Tokunation › Archives for March 2025

Archives for March 2025

under Power Rangers

According to entertainment website TheWrap.com, the Power Rangers franchise may have found it’s new home for entertainment.  TheWrap reporter Umberto Gonzalez reports that Hasbro will produce a brand new Power Rangers live-action series on Disney+ with Jonathan E. Steinberg (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) and Dan Shotz in negotiations to write, show-run, and produce the new series.

The Power Rangers brand has stumbled out of the gate since it’s acquisition by Hasbro in 2018.  Following a dramatic push in the toy aisle with Power Rangers Beast Morphers, the Power Rangers brand limped to it’s 30th anniversary series Power Rangers Cosmic Fury in 2023, with most of the planned toy line being canceled before production could even begin, and Playmates being rewarded the toy license in the aftermath of the end of Power Rangers toys with Hasbro.

The last time Power Rangers saw critical success in both the toy aisle and media was in the early 2010’s up through 2017, when Saban Brands reacquired Power Rangers from Disney and relaunched the brand on Nickelodeon.  The success of Power Rangers in the early 2010’s led way to the rebooted Power Rangers movie of 2017 with Lionsgate. While receiving praise from fans and mild critical acclaim, it limped to a box office finish of $142 million worldwide, causing it to be considered a flop in the eyes of the entertainment industry.

Power Rangers was originally sold to Disney as part of the Fox Kids block of programming in 2002.  Disney produced numerous Power Rangers series from 2003 through 2010, some even reaching fan-favorite status (Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Power Rangers S.P.D., Power Rangers RPM).  Whether or not this new Power Rangers series comes to pass on Disney+ will be answered through a test of time, as Hasbro attempted to reboot the brand as early as 2019 with Jonathan Entwistle, but the project never got off the ground and eventually ceased to exist when Hasbro sold their recently acquired entertainment company eOne to Lionsgate.

Stay tuned for more updates.

under Kamen Rider

Toei has filed a trademark for the next Kamen Rider series!

Following the conclusion of Kamen Rider Gavv, we can look forward to Kamen Rider Zeztz!

Sadly, no information about this new Rider is available at time of writing. Stay tuned to Tokunation for more updates on this new chapter in Rider history!

under Metal Heroes, Power Rangers

From Rich Johnston and BleedingCool.com comes a rather unexpected news brief.  According to Rich out of London Book Fair, BOOM! Studios (publisher of Power Rangers Prime and license holder to Power Rangers comic books) is preparing to launch a brand new VR Troopers comic book series on June 25th, following a Power Rangers/VR Troopers Free Comic Book Day special releasing in May.

Mairghread Scott is tapped to write the series.  Previously, she wrote a one-shot special for BOOM! Studios and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

VR Troopers is an adaptation of the Metal Heroes series, following the same vein as Power Rangers, where the footage is used but an original story is created.  The show lasted two seasons and 92 episodes worth of programming.  Famously, Jason David Frank was tapped to play the main hero “Ryan Steele”, before being brought back to Power Rangers and the role landing to Brad Hawkins, who would also go on to voice the Zeo Gold Ranger character Trey of Triforia.

EDITOR’S NOTE:  A previous version of this story credited Mairghread Scott as the writer for the “Beyond the Grid” story line in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.  The actual writer of that series is Margarette Bennett.  Our apologies to both Maighread Scott and Margarette Bennet for the mix-up.

› Views: 2186 › Credit: Bleeding Cool

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under Power Rangers

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers veteran voice actor Dave Mallow has sadly passed away at the age of 76.

Dave Mallow served as the series’ announcer along with performing the voice of Baboo along with several other monsters including Pudgy Pig, Grumble Bee, Lizzinator, Trumpet Top & Bookula in the Mighty Morphin era, and would continue to make guest appearances as monster voices throughout the franchise from Power Rangers Zeo down to Power Rangers Wild Force.

Our thoughts are with Dave Mallows’ friends and family in this difficult time.

under Power Rangers, Toy Fair

We were on hand at this year’s New York Toy Fair 2025 and had the chance to take a look at the upcoming Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Re-Ignition lineup of figures and accessories from the new license holder for Power Rangers toys, Playmates.

Some other details we learned during our time witn Playmates:

  • Mighty Morphin Power Rangers will “re-air” this coming July on Netflix utilizing AI to enhance the original show. While only the first season is locked, the goal is to do all three seasons of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to coincide with toy offerings from Playmates
  • Only 10% of the product offering for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Re-Ignition is considered “collector-driven”, as the goal of both Playmates and brand-owner Hasbro is trying to gain a new generation of children’s attention and grow the brand from there
  • Playmates has the ability to do toys outside of the original Mighty Morphin series, but currently has no plans to do so. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Re-Ignition line is forecasted for 2-3 years of product.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Re-Ignition will be on shelves at major retailers later this year, and more product to follow in 2026 (specifically teased the Dragonzord, which will combine with the Megazord).

Stay tuned for more details.