Power Rangers (2017) tried to reinvent the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in a more grounded, serious universe, and it holds an interesting Green Ranger record that might never be broken. There are only three theatrical Power Rangers movies – Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995), Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1997), and the 2017 reboot. Of those three, only the Turbo one takes place in the same Power Rangers chronology as the TV shows. The reboot film never got a sequel, which is unfortunate considering all the innovative additions to the lore it brought.
The 2017 Power Rangers film was a reimagination of the Mighty Morphin TV show. Jason, Kimberly, Billy, Zack, and Trini were all there, and so were characters like Zordon, Alpha, Rita Repulsa, and Goldar. However, most of them were given different backstories or even entirely different motivations compared to the show. This includes Rita Repulsa and the mythology surrounding the Green Ranger.
Power Rangers (2017) Is The Only Mighty Morphin Green Ranger Theatrical Appearance
Rita Repulsa’s Green Ranger form shown in Power Rangers (2017) is the first and so far only theatrical appearance of the Mighty Morphin Green Ranger. While this is not Tommy Oliver, it is the movie’s version of the classic Green Ranger – the one associated with the Dragon Flute and the Dragonzord. In the TV series, Rita Repulsa somehow owned a corrupted green Power Coin that transformed Tommy into the Green Ranger. In the BOOM! Studios comics continuity, Rita used dark magic to corrupt the green Power Coin in a story set before the events of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
In the 2017 Power Rangers movie universe, the original Mighty Morphin Rangers were aliens who crashed on Earth during a battle. Rita Repulsa was the original Green Ranger, a clever way to tie this new version of the story into the TV show’s “Green With Evil” plotline. Rita’s Green Ranger form only appears very briefly, but the character continues to wear part of her green armor throughout the film. Power Rangers (2017) also includes a more direct Tommy Oliver tease, with “Oliver” being one of the kids in detention during the post-credits scene. Had Power Rangers 2 happened, Tommy would most likely have been in the film.
Why The Mighty Morphin Green Ranger Didn’t Appear In Other Power Rangers Movies
The first theatrical Power Rangers movie was released in 1995 when Tommy Oliver was no longer the Green Ranger. Even though Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie is not canon to the show, it sort of takes place between Mighty Morphin’s seasons 2 and 3 – Tommy was already the White Ranger at that point. The first Power Rangers movie even sees the White Ranger’s transition from the Saba powers to the Falcon zord, although the series gave a different explanation for it. Tommy was also in Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, which was set after Zeo but before Turbo in the Power Rangers timeline.
Tommy, who by that point was the Zeo Red Ranger after leading the Mighty Morphin crew as the White Ranger, became the first Turbo Red Ranger. Turbo did feature a Green Ranger, Adam, but his color and powers had nothing to do with the Mighty Morphin Green Ranger. Tommy appears in his Green Ranger form in the Power Rangers: Once & Always reunion, a 50-minute special released on Netflix. However, in terms of theatrical releases, Rita Repulsa’s backstory in the 2017 reboot remains the only cinematic version of the classic Green Ranger. Jason David Frank had a cameo in Power Rangers (2017) but as an Angel Grove citizen and not Tommy Oliver.
Will Tommy’s Green Ranger Form Ever Appear In A Power Rangers Film?
There are currently no announced plans for another Power Rangers movie. The future of the franchise seems to lie in the TV shows, with a new, scripted series in development. Considering that Cosmic Fury felt like a farewell to the continuity that began with Mighty Morphin, the chances of Tommy’s Green Ranger form appearing in a new live-action project are low. Additionally, following the tragic passing of Jason David Frank, Tommy Oliver as a character can only continue in other media like the comics or in a brand new continuity entirely. That said, given how iconic the original Green Ranger is, it’s disappointing he never had a significant movie appearance.
Power Rangers
- Created by
- Haim Saban , Shuki Levy
- First TV Show
- Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers
- Video Game(s)
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle
