Movies News Talk

Power Rangers Reboot: Lord Drakkon's Arrival Demands a Modern Update!

Power Rangers Reboot Needed? Lord Drakkon's Live-Action Debut Shows Us Why!

Lord Drakkon: A Multiversal Villain Who Proves Power Rangers Needs a Reboot

Lord Drakkon is, arguably, one of the coolest and most popular Power Rangers characters who never appeared in the TV show! We got a tiny taste of this multiversal baddie in a live-action commercial; and that was enough to prove something crucial: Power Rangers desperately needs a serious modern reboot. The series is currently on hiatus—no news for 2024, after a stalled Netflix reboot. That really left us questioning exactly how this hugely successful series was suddenly halted in its tracks. This kind of interruption has impacted production on many other titles; even causing unexpected endings like Cosmic Fury's slightly abrupt and surprising conclusion, yet still highlighting many important thematic points which showed exactly how important this show is and deserves an improved treatment going forward. It ended on a bittersweet note; yet this abrupt pause is exactly what shows this brand deserves more. A proper revitalization.

Cosmic Fury, the last season, worked as this bizarre conclusion– after defeating Lord Zedd and discovering Zordon is around, that really left fans in this complicated spot—happy that the older stories were successfully concluded and resolving outstanding narrative elements that impacted storylines for a very long time. It was a good way to say goodbye; however it's really hard to believe that Power Rangers might just end, given its popularity. So whenever Power Rangers returns, including this hugely popular villain who should be used prominently in the sequel would give the storyline needed additional character development.

Also Read: Power Rangers Zeo: A Season of Unforgettable Power and Change

Lord Drakkon: That Amazing Live-Action Commercial!

Featured Image: Jason David Frank as Lord Drakkon and a panel from Power Rangers Shattered Grid Image

The BOOM! Studios Power Rangers comics from 2016 onward are legendary; the best of what that franchise gave us in years.  Hundreds of issues later, they still combine Mighty Morphin with characters from other seasons and storylines – primarily using a multiversal setup; this is precisely why the emergence of this popular villain is possible! Those stories in those comics introduced Lord Drakkon—this is a darker version of Tommy Oliver, the original Green Ranger, who never joins the team.   This concept demonstrates the incredible amounts of innovation possible for those wanting to bring new, different creative story ideas forward into this well-established fanbase!

Shattered Grid (December 2017)? This massive comic event saw Drakkon becoming absurdly powerful, rewriting realities and basically creating ultimate multiversal havoc. A live-action commercial showcased this— with the iconic Jason David Frank as Lord Drakkon. The result was perfection; amazing costumes; using that amazing commercial that took significant comic elements from the comics and perfectly recreates the feel!

Also Read: Power Rangers Super Megaforce: Plot Hole Creates Multiverse!

Why Lord Drakkon Remains a Comic-Only Villain

Lord Drakkon in the Power Rangers comics and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in the 2017 movie Image

Those BOOM! Studios comics exist separately from those TV shows, so Lord Drakkon couldn’t make the jump into those earlier productions – although various explanations exist and one assumes it’s a part of that multiversal reality emphasized repeatedly within these various versions of the universe. But beyond the technical difficulties involved in merging universes and storytelling; the reason is more important than mere explanation:

Drakkon's storyline in these comics takes place within that classic Mighty Morphin era. The Power Rangers TV show however remains in modern times and its continuation runs since 1993. Any proper live-action adaptation could only happen in a reboot and it doesn't matter if the show remained in continuity with the old productions because a reboot requires a complete separation of elements and an exploration of entirely new production possibilities – those would only exist with entirely new, different settings.

Also Read: The Perfect Power Rangers Reboot Director Was On The Show 24 Years Ago

The Perfect Power Rangers Reboot? Take Inspiration From The Comics!

Custom image of Power Rangers Zeo's Red Ranger and Mighty Morphin's Green Ranger Image

It is largely unclear whether that much anticipated reboot for the television audience will really materialize in future. The 2017 movie attempt failed despite largely positive feedback. However this situation should never dissuade any of those possibilities. An updated reboot makes sense after a longer delay and creates many other storytelling opportunities!

Power Rangers can transcend Super Sentai adaptations (with few exceptions, including theatrical films and other events).  That amazing approach using Cosmic Fury demonstrates its possibility to produce and distribute original content and create new adaptations, as those older storyline’s elements got fully resolved, justifying and promoting future adventures in various new ways that fans eagerly await and expect from a show of this kind. The next option would only involve making use of Lord Drakkon; in many stories within those well-received comics which should be inspiration. A proper Power Rangers reboot (live-action or animated), using this blueprint, really feels great.

Also Read: Power Rangers: That Time The Show Acknowledged Its Japanese Roots

Conclusion: Lord Drakkon Is More Than a Fan Favorite Villain; he represents immense possibilities!

 Image

Lord Drakkon doesn't simply highlight the fanbase's wish to see this exciting villain—this multiversal character, and storyline perfectly represent exactly just why this kind of creative reimagining makes immense sense for Power Rangers' future. He shows the possibility of that darker tone, mature stories which really works with modern audiences and provides those thematic arcs which would otherwise remain unexplored.

Even though direct adaptation of comic storylines might have challenges, taking that amazing creative direction and approach, creating entirely new plots; while retaining core thematic and stylistic aspects might just be what the series desperately needs and remains immensely plausible; creating amazing production opportunities to truly revitalize the brand for years to come; appealing to its older, and even attracting many newer generations in a whole new format never used in that long history!

Related Articles