Cosmic Fury, the most recent entry in the Cosmic Fury’s ending was a good way of saying goodbye to this version of the series if Power Rangers season 31 never happens. However, given how big the Power Rangers brand is, it’s difficult to imagine the show not continuing in some way or form eventually. Whenever Power Rangers returns, it could use a character like Drakkon.

Live-Action Lord Drakkon Looked Great (Even If Just For A Commercial)

The Late Jason David Frank Once Played Drakkon In Shattered Grid Ad

The Power Rangers comics from BOOM! Studios have been some of the most exciting stuff the franchise has released in the last eight years. Starting in 2016 with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, BOOM! Studios published hundreds of Power Rangers comics already and has tackled a lot of characters and events. While the comics have so far covered the Mighty Morphin TV show for the most part, they have also told a lot of original stories and even incorporated events from other series such as In Space, Time Force, and Wild Force.

One of the reasons the comics have managed to combine the Mighty Morphin era with characters from other Power Rangers TV shows is the multiverse. The first major saga in the modern Power Rangers comics had everything to do with the multiverse and served as the franchise’s version of Marvel’s Secret Wars – heroes from multiple realities coming together to stop a threat that could end existence as we know it. The threat in question was Lord Drakkon, a version of Tommy Oliver from a universe where the original Green Ranger remained bad and never ed the Power Rangers.

By December 2017, both of BOOM! Studios’ Power Rangers books had converged into a major event called Shattered Grid, during which Drakkon had become so powerful that he could destroy entire universes and reshape the multiverse. To promote the series, a live-action Shattered Grid commercial was released starring Jason David Frank as Lord Drakkon. The original Tommy Oliver actor got to play this new yet incredibly popular version of his iconic character for a couple of minutes, and it all looked very exciting. Drakkon’s costume was on point, and the commercial recreated a couple of s from the comic books.

Why Lord Drakkon Still Hasn’t Appeared In A Power Rangers Show Or Movie

Lord Drakkon Has Only Been In Comics Books And Games

The modern Power Rangers comics have been a separate thing from the TV show ever since they started. While the comics reference the show and consider everything that happened on the screen to be canon, the opposite is not necessarily the same. The comics modernized Power Rangers and brought the story from the 1990s to the present day, which itself meant that this was supposed to be a new take on the TV show. Those who enjoy in-universe explanations can assume that the comic books take place in one of the many realities of the Power Rangers multiverse.

Regardless, the fact that comics and TV shows have always been separate things explains why Lord Drakkon never appeared in live-action apart from that one commercial. Drakkon was a major player in several stories from the comics, but those stories were set during the Mighty Morphin era. The Power Rangers show, however, usually takes place in the present day and follows the timeline that began in 1993 with Mighty Morphin. An adaptation of Lord Drakkon would only work in a reboot not only because of the timeline but also because of the tone of the comic books.

The Ideal Power Rangers Reboot Would Be Inspired By The Comics

The Power Rangers Comics Are Just Too Good

It’s unclear if there will ever be a Power Rangers reboot for TV. The most recent attempt to reimagine Mighty Morphin Power Rangers for a new generation was the 2017 movie, which, despite the positive reception, bombed at the box office. That said, given the uncertainty of the Power Rangers show’s future, no option can be ruled out. A slightly more mature Power Rangers reboot would be a great way of revitalizing the saga, even more so after the hiatus that is currently facing. A reboot would allow Power Rangers to start fresh and use different formats.

Apart from a few exceptions – namely the theatrical movies, Once & Always, and Cosmic Fury – all of Power Rangers’ live-action releases are direct Super Sentai adaptations that combine Japanese and American footage. As much as Super Sentai is part of the identity of Power Rangers, there is room for Power Rangers to grow beyond Sentai and do its own thing going forward. Cosmic Fury, while not a perfect season, showed that Power Rangers can work even when it’s not adapting Sentai. A reboot inspired by the comics would be a great way to do it, be it live-action or animated.

Power Rangers Already Has The Blueprint For How To Reinvent Itself

Power Rangers Can Find The Balance Between Nostalgia And Something New

Even if Power Rangers never directly adapts any of the stories from the modern comic books to the screen, the comics should be an inspiration for whenever the franchise returns. The Power Rangers books from 2016 onward showed how to reinvent the saga and make it fresh while keeping the essence of the show. Even though Power Rangers is more than Mighty Morphin, the comics justified spending so many issues with the original team simply because of how well-written all the characters were. They also highlight how rich the Power Rangers universe is.

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A character like Lord Drakkon only works because the Power Rangers franchise can easily welcome things like time travel and multiverse. Power Rangers can be its own cinematic universe, of which a live-action Lord Drakkon could be the big bad. Adapting stories like Shattered Grid to a TV show or even a movie would be a difficult task and would come with risks, especially after the most recent Power Rangers film performed poorly at the box office. However, if successful, it would be just what Power Rangers needs to launch a new era.

Power Rangers

9.5/10

Created by

Haim Saban, Shuki Levy, Shotaro Ishinomori

First Film

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

Latest Film

Power Rangers

First TV Show

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers

Latest TV Show

Power Rangers Cosmic Fury

First Episode Air Date

August 28, 1993

Power Rangers is a long-running multimedia franchise that debuted in 1993 with the TV series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Created by Haim Saban and adapted from the Japanese Super Sentai series, Power Rangers became a cultural phenomenon by combining action-packed footage from Super Sentai with new scenes featuring American actors. The franchise follows teams of young heroes who transform into Power Rangers to battle various villains, using martial arts, special powers, and giant mechas called Zords. Over the decades, the franchise has expanded into multiple TV series, films, comics, video games, and merchandise, becoming one of the most successful children's franchises in the world.

Cast

Bill Hader, Elizabeth Banks, David Yost, Amy Jo Johnson

TV Show(s)

Power Rangers Cosmic Fury

Video Game(s)

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, Saban's Power Rangers Megaforce, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind

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