Netflix will be a few Rangers short of a full Megazord when it launches Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Once & Always this spring, in part due to tragic events involving the original cast.
Netflix says Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Once & Always will drop on April 19 to mark the 30th anniversary of the franchise, although it seems like only two original Rangers will be part of it.
David Yost and Walter E. Jones, the original Blue and Black Rangers, will be back for the series, along with Barbara Goodson and Richard Horvitz, who will lend their voices to the evil Rita Repulsa and the robot Alpha, respectively. Several actors from other generations of the show will also be back.
However, there will be some glaring OG absences when the show drops.
Here’s what happened to the five original Power Rangers who were in the show in 1993, along with the sixth Ranger who joined soon after it launched.
David Yost (Blue Ranger/Billy Cranson)
David Yost will return to the Power Rangers franchise after helping to launch it as the Blue Ranger in 1993. Yost was the longest-serving member of the original cast, with over four seasons and 200 episodes under his belt, according to Netflix.
Walter E. Jones (Black Ranger/Zack Taylor)
Walter Emanuel Jones will return as the original Black Ranger in Once & Always.
Jones has had some voice acting, extra and behind-the-scenes roles in various productions over the years, and still attends conventions where he meets up with Power Rangers fans.
Amy Jo Johnson (Pink Ranger/Kimberly Hart)
Original Pink Ranger Amy Jo Johnson was not included in Netflix's initial announcement. Instead, they'll have another Pink Ranger actress, Catherine Sutherland, donning the pink helmet.
Johnson says she didn't say "no" to a return. "I just didn't say yes to what was offered," she added, in what seemed like a hint at her pay.
"Looking forward to watching my friends kick ass!" she tweeted.
Johnson has been acting, singing and directing in the years since she starred on the show. She's also a regular on the comic-con circuit.
Thuy Trang (Yellow Ranger/Trini Kwan)
Thuy Trang as Trini in "Power Rangers."
Power Rangers Official | YouTube
Thuy Trang, who played the original Yellow Ranger Trini, died in a car accident in 2001 at the age of 27.
Netflix says the anniversary show will introduce actress Charlie Kersh as Minh, Trini's daughter and the new Yellow Ranger.
Austin St. John (Red Ranger/Jason Lee Scott)
Original Red Ranger Austin St. John is a regular at fan expos and comic cons. He is still around but will not be part of the Netflix reunion.
St. John was arrested in May 2022 on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving the U.S. government's COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program. He and 17 others have been accused of trying to fraudulently get loans through the program.
He faces prison time if convicted.
Jason David Frank (Green Ranger/White Ranger/Tommy Oliver)
Jason David Frank died by suicide in November 2022.
No one embraced their Power Rangers role more than Jason David Frank, who joined the original cast as the evil Green Ranger before turning good and becoming the White Ranger over several other iterations of the show.
Frank was a lifelong martial artist and supporter of the franchise. He even starred in a few fan-made movies as a White Ranger-esque character in his final years.
Netflix says the new special will pay tribute to both Frank and Trang.
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