In 1993, pop culture was introduced to a franchise that would fascinate children’s television with a fresh take on superhero stories. Produced by Saban Entertainment, “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” quickly rose to prominence as one of the cornerstones of after-school television memories for children of the 1990s. It follows the story of five teenagers who are left with the fate of the universe in their hands after they are given powers by Zordon to defeat the villain, becoming the color-coded, spandex-wearing, band of heroes, the Power Rangers. 

   While the series still has a somewhat active fanbase, to most, the “Power Rangers” franchise is a distant memory rather than a staple, especially with young children. So, why has today’s generation lost touch with the “Power Rangers,” and why has it not seen as much success as its fellow iconic ‘90s competitors? Well, despite its initial success, the franchise has seen a rather bumpy road since its genesis. 

   At first, the “Power Rangers” franchise achieved overnight success and swiftly became Saban’s most lucrative property. Merchandise, especially toys, generated millions for Saban, and having five new episodes a week for fans to consume kept the show at the forefront of people’s minds (and wallets, too). In 1995, “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie” was released by the 20th Century Studios, grossing roughly $66.4 million. By 2001, “Power Rangers” had generated $6 billion in toy revenue alone for Saban, shattering their records with other franchises under their brand, like “Beetleborgs” and “The Masked Rider.” 

   Despite revenue being at an all-time high in the early 2000s for “Power Rangers,” an acquisition by a major media conglomerate afrronted fans of the franchise. In 2001, the Walt Disney Company officially purchased Fox Family Worldwide, which included the “Power Rangers” series, for a whopping $5.3 billion. After acquiring “Power Rangers” as part of the Fox Family roster, Disney attempted to cancel the franchise, citing the ending contract with Toei, the owner of the Japanese franchise “Super Sentai” which “Power Rangers” is based on, as to why the show needed to end. 

   Ultimately, the show was renewed rather than cancelled after “Power Rangers: Wild Force,” and production moved from Los Angeles to New Zealand to reduce budget costs. It is rumored that Disney hated having “Power Rangers” as part of its roster due to the violent nature of the show, and executives felt the series did not fit in with the Disney brand. Fans and audiences noticed the significant reduction of hand-to-hand combat after Disney overtook the show, replacing much of the violence with special effects and lightly choreographed fight scenes. After “Power Rangers: RPM” finished airing in 2009, Disney officially canceled the series – but their attempt to end the show didn’t last for long. 

   Just one year after “Power Rangers” was canceled by Disney, Saban Entertainment reacquired the rights to the franchise, selling broadcast rights for the show to Nickelodeon. In 2011, “Power Rangers: Samurai” premiered, temporarily rejuvenating the series and airing a total of 11 seasons over 10 years. Nickelodeon’s ownership of the broadcast rights for the franchise upset fans due to the network’s 20-episode limit for individual seasons of shows airing on the channel. Just a couple of years later, in true “Power Rangers” fashion, the series underwent another transition in ownership, this time being sold to Hasbro in 2018 for over $500 million. Like the Disney transition, fans noticed a reduction in quality for the franchise, but this time specifically, it was in terms of toys and collectible items.

   “Power Rangers” was again canceled in 2023 after the conclusion of “Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury,” which aired on the show’s newest distributor, Netflix. The show has been in limbo, waiting to be rebooted for a new audience – until now. “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz recently announced that they will serve as showrunners for a reboot of “Power Rangers,” slated to release on Disney+ in the foreseeable future, once again transferring the franchise distribution rights back to Disney after 15 years. 

   So, there you have it – the messy, constantly transitioning history of the “Power Rangers” franchise in a nutshell. In a world saturated with superhero content after the success of competitors, it makes sense that “Power Rangers” had trouble finding its footing after initial success due to being bounced around to a handful of different companies in terms of ownership. There’s hope for the Power Rangers now that they are under the success of Steinberg and Shotz after “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” proved to be a hit for Disney’s young adult fanbase – the question is, will their success and expertise in children’s television transition to longevity and a new legacy for “Power Rangers?”