The 2017 Power Rangers reboot movie was never supposed to end with just one film, which was obvious given all that it teased and setup in the film’s final moments. But if you were wondering what would have happened in the films that followed, actor RJ Cyler, who played Billy Cranston/The Blue Ranger, just revealed that the first film was the first in six planned movies meant to setup a Power Rangers universe.
Speaking on The Joe Vulpis Podcast, Cyler revealed that he had a”four-picture deal with Lionsgate.” The studio had long-term plans for the franchise, with the second film setting up Tommy/The Green Ranger. The actor compared the concept to the Avengers and their cinematic world.
He even goes on to compare the film’s director Dean Israelite to James Gunn, in terms of how the film was supposed to setup his career. “I feel like he’s the only other director that gets the universe. And kind of how to speak it. Even being directed by Dean… He gives the energy. He’s watching you. He’s acting with you. You know, to give you the energy,” Cyler said, full of smiles as he remembers his experience on the 2017 set.
But not everyone enjoyed the new take on the Power Rangers. The film only made $142.5 million at the box office and cost $100 million to make. Some fans believed that the film focused too much on the teenagers underneath the colorful suits. Instead of a brainless martial arts film that had Jason, Kimberly, Billy, Trini and Zack punching monsters around every corner, the film slowed things down and took a deeper look at each of the characters as they dealt with real-life stuff, like family, identity and school life.
Over the years, however, fans have learned to appreciate the film for what it was. Maybe it was released at the wrong time and aimed at the wrong audience?
“It was gonna be a whole big thing. But what can you do, right? We’re talking about money and big business, and it didn’t make enough on the investment that the studio had made to continue making more,” he continued. You can hear the slight hint of sadness in his voice as he speaks about a role that was clearly important to him.
But Cyler wasn’t a complete downer. He is still a huge fan of the franchise and seems really excited for the franchise moving forward. “But I hear they’re rebooting it again. I think Saban might have sold the IP off, so I’m excited for the future of that,” he continued with a smile. “Power Rangers means a great deal to a lot of people. So I know that whoever steps into those shoes will be great. And I had the best time.”
While it might not have been the huge hit everyone was expecting at the time, the 2017 Power Rangers movie did kickstart its cast’s careers. Nearly the entire cast went on to do bigger and better things as their careers grew.
But it all started with the Power Rangers, which we now know could have been six epic films.
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