Former Mighty Morphin Power Rangers head writer Tony Oliver recently admitted that two iconic casting decisions from the original 1993 series were “such a mistake.”
Speaking on the latest episode of Dark Side of the Power Rangers, a documentary series on Investigation Discovery, Oliver reflected on how the casting of Black and Asian actors in the roles of the Black Ranger and Yellow Ranger was a glaring oversight.
Oliver stated that no one involved in the series had initially considered the potential racial implications of these choices, attributing it to a lack of awareness at the time. “None of us are thinking stereotypes,” he explained. Also sharing that it was his assistant who pointed it out in a meeting one day.
This revelation comes decades after the show’s debut, which set off a cultural phenomenon. When Mighty Morphin Power Rangers premiered in 1993, Zack Taylor, portrayed by Walter Emanuel Jones, became the first Black Ranger, while Trini Kwan, played by Thuy Trang, became the first Yellow Ranger.
In a clip from behind the scenes, Jones himself humorously commented on the situation, saying, “My name’s Walter Jones, I play Zack. I’m Black, and I play the Black Ranger — go figure.”
Oliver further explained that, while Trini’s casting was part of a larger turnover when the original actress, Audri Dubois, quit due to a pay dispute, the unintentional stereotype still stood.
Over the years, the actors themselves have commented on the casting, with Pink Ranger Amy Jo Johnson recalling how the cast would joke about it. “Walter Jones used to crack good-humored jokes about that,” she said.
The documentary sheds light on the fact that these casting choices weren’t deliberate or malicious, but were indicative of the lack of diversity in Hollywood at the time.
Haim Saban, the show’s creator, has previously explained that he and co-creator Shuki Levi did not grow up in an environment where race was a frequent topic of discussion, as they were raised in Israel.
The series, which has evolved through numerous iterations since its 1993 debut, is now getting another chance to evolve for a new generation. After several unsuccessful attempts to reboot the franchise, including a 2017 film and a failed series revival on Netflix, Disney+ is taking another shot at bringing the iconic show back to life.
In a new reimagining of the beloved series, Disney+ has partnered with Percy Jackson and the Olympians showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz to create a fresh take on Power Rangers. Hasbro, which now owns the franchise, is collaborating with Disney+ to reinvent the series for a whole new generation while still paying homage to the original.
