Ah, the Power Rangers. If you were born in the 1990s, you – at some point – caught a glimpse of the cheesy-greatness. The original Mighty Morphin series began in 1993, and pushed the boundary for children’s programming. Following years of being represented on the small-screen, this Thursday, Power Rangers will make the leap to the cineplex. Of course, this is not the first time this has happened, but it is the first time a project like this comes with an $100 million budget.
The new movie has received some pretty positive early reviews; however, there is one component to the film that everybody loves. One of the Power Rangers is gay. We are getting into minor spoilers here, so if you do not want to know who is LGBT, simply avoid this article like the plague.
So, in the Dean Israelite-directed reboot, it turns out that Trini (The Yellow Ranger) – portrayed by Becky G – is gay. In the second act of the film, Trini’s comrades are discussing why she is so upset, but she is merely coming to terms with her Sexuality. Power Rangers was founded on the idea of portraying teenagers in a legitimate light, and have constantly strived to be as diverse as possible. Regarding the decision, Israelite had some additional information:
“For Trini, really she’s questioning a lot about who she is. She hasn’t fully figured it out yet. I think what’s great about that scene and what that scene propels for the rest of the movie is, ‘That’s OK.’ The movie is saying, ‘That’s OK,’ and all of the kids have to own who they are and find their tribe.”
The original series – famously – starred David Yost, who left the show after sexual harassment. The Hollywood Reporter contacted Yost for a comment on the film’s awesome decision:
“They really stepped up to the plate. I think so many people in the LGBTQI community are going to be excited to see that representation.”
So, what do you guys think of this? Personally, I am so happy to see this. Power Rangers has looked incredibly diverse from the second the cast was announced, and with a decision like this, one can only hope Marvel and DC will move forward with LGBT characters. Trini marks the first on-screen LGBT superhero. Will you be seeing Power Rangers this Thursday?
Power Rangers hits theatres everywhere on March 24th.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter