Netflix is preparing a big special to celebrate the 30 years of Power Rangers. The film Power Rangers: Now and Forever arrives on streaming on April 19, honoring the legacy of the series and especially the actors who helped make the heroes in colorful leotards into icons of a generation.
Not by chance, the great attraction of the feature is the return of part of the actors who participated in the first seasons. As is to be expected, everyone is much older and with a physique that does not cooperate with the tight outfit, but nostalgia makes us overlook these details.
At the same time, meeting these actors again can be a great memory exercise for a large part of the public. Not all of them appeared in the same season and remembering who is who is a difficult task even for those who were a little older when Zordon recruited the first young people in Alameda dos Anjos.
So, to help you prepare for the premiere of Power Rangers: Now and Foreverfind out who are the actors who return for the special and in which moments they were part of the series.
Billy, o Ranger Azul (David Yost)
One of the protagonists of the Netflix film, David Yost returns as Billy, the first Blue Ranger. The 54-year-old actor was part of the first generation of Power Rangers and he was precisely the one that the children least liked at the time: he was the typical nerd, with glasses and clumsy, who always hesitated before taking action.
Maybe that’s why he was one of the characters who spent the most time in the franchise. He remained on the team even when it was all overhauled and even returned in other seasons in special appearances, as in Power Rangers Zeo e Super Megaforce.
This all made the hero the second most to participate in the entire series, behind only Tommy Oliver (Jason David Frank), the eternal Green Ranger.
Zack, About Ranger (Walter Emanuel Jones)
Another remnant of the first generation of Power Rangers is Zack, the Black Ranger played by Walter Emanuel Jones. He participated in 88 episodes of the original series and is still remembered for commanding Mastodon’s Mega Zord.
He left the show in the third season, when he was replaced by Adam (Johnny Yong Bosch). Still, he returned a few times in other generations of the series, as in Super Megaforce e HyperForce.
Em Now and everZack will be one of the protagonists alongside Billy and will be one of those responsible for reuniting the old team.
Rocky the Red Ranger (Steve Cardenas)
The most obvious question surrounding the Netflix special is why it isn’t being run by a Red Ranger, who has always been the leader of all team formations. This happens because the film has only the second actor to wear the uniform.
Steve Cardenas will once again live the hero Rocky, who took up the mantle of Tyrannosaurus Rex in the middle of the second season, when the team gains new members. In the plot, he was such a skilled fighter that he came into the crosshairs of the villain Lord Zedd and made the heroes trust him with the powers of the Red Ranger.
Netflix has not revealed why it dropped the Austin St. John out of the special, but it’s very likely that his current legal situation played a part. In 2022, the first Red Ranger was arrested for fraud in aid given by the US government during the covid-19 pandemic.
Kat, a Ranger Rose (Catherine Sutherland)
Let’s face it, the Pink Ranger that counts is Kimberly, the first to wear the uniform and command the Pterodactyl. But actress Amy Jo Johnson did not enter into an agreement with Netflix and, therefore, Power Rangers: Now and Forever will feature the second version of the heroine, lived by Catherine Sutherland.
The character Cat appeared in the series only in the third season. She appears almost as an extra who gains prominence throughout the episodes – which includes being controlled by the villain Rita Repulsa for a while – until she is saved by the heroes and decides to join them in the fight against evil.
Thus, she participates in the last season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but continues with the costume in the following generations. She still participates in Power Rangers Zeo e Power Rangers Turbo. Em Power Rangers: Ninja Steel — the 21st season — it is revealed that she married Tommy.
Adam, about Ranger Preto (Johnny Yong Bosch)
Now and ever will feature two Black Rangers in the story, as Johnny Yong Bosch returns to play the hero Adam, a character he has played since the second season of the series.
The curious thing is that he is one of the few characters that has changed color over the generations. In Power Rangers Zeohe left the basic black dress behind and became the Green Ranger, a title he kept until the next generation. Turbo, when he said goodbye to the franchise. Still, he made some guest appearances in other seasons.
And it’s quite likely that his appearance in the Netflix special will be in that tone. From what the trailer shows, the hero will appear on some mission in space and should not have a very large role in the commemorative film.
Aisha, a Ranger Amarela (Karan Ashley)
Who also appears in space sending good luck is the Yellow Ranger. And although Aisha (Karan Ashley) only entered the second season along with Rocky and Adam, she is one of the most remembered by fans when it comes to the owner of the Sabretooth Tiger’s Mega Zord.
And it makes perfect sense that his participation in the special is very small. this is because the plot must revolve around the death of the first Yellow Ranger, Trini, even as a way of honoring actress Minh Kwan, who lived the heroine in the first season and died in a car accident in 2001.
Alpha-5 (Richard Steven Horvitz)
While everyone remembers the colorful heroes, the character that appeared the most in the early seasons of Power Rangers was the Alpha-5 robot. Zordon’s sidekick was in every episode with his clumsy manner and squeaky voice, reminding audiences that the show was for kids.
And Netflix brought back actor Richard Steven Horvitz to voice the gangly robot and repeat his iconic “Ai ai ai ai ai ai”.
In all, Alpha appeared in 210 episodes – the vast majority of them being inside the Rangers’ base. And what we’re going to see is that, even 30 years later, he’s still doing the same thing in Now and Forever.
