Power Rangers Finally Delivered The Scene Every Mighty Morphin Fan Had Been Waiting For Since The 1990s

Zack Taylor, the original Black Ranger, left the team during Mighty Morphin Power Rangers season 2 and would only interact with his replacement on screen 29 years later. The original Power Rangers team went through a few big changes throughout its three-season run, one of which was the exits of Austin St. John, Thuy Trang, and Walter Emanuel Jones. By the end of MMPR season 3, David Yost’s Billy was the only one of the first five Rangers still on the show.

Replacing four of the team’s members was no easy feat, but Power Rangers surprisingly found great new characters that were welcomed by the fanbase and would remain on the show for years to come. Apart from Aisha, all “second generation” Rangers remained on the show through Power Rangers Zeo and the first half of Power Rangers Turbo. However, it was only in 2023 that the original Black Ranger and his replacement, Adam Park, were on the same scene together – with no body doubles or reused footage this time.

Zack Finally Met His Black Ranger Replacement In Power Rangers: Once & Always

Johnny Yong Bosch’s Adam Replaced Walter Emanuel Jones’ Zack

While Zack and Adam technically met in 1994’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers season 2, their actors were never really on the same scene until 2023’s Power Rangers: Once & Always. That is because, when Adam, Aisha, and Rocky were introduced, Walter Emanuel Jones, Thuy Trang, and Austin St. John were no longer on the show. Power Rangers used body doubles and repurposed footage during the transition between the original Black, Yellow, and Red Rangers and the new ones. In other words, Walter Emanuel Jones had never interacted with any of the new Mighty Morphin Rangers on screen.

This changed in Once & Always, during which Zack fought side by side with Rocky and Kat. More importantly, Zack shared a brief but meaningful moment with Adam at the end of the Netflix special. The second Mighty Morphin Black Ranger was not around for most Once & Always, appearing only at the end to help bring back the Rangers that Robot Rita had turned into miniatures. Adam and Aisha were now SPA agents and met with the other Rangers once Robot Rita had finally been destroyed. As brief as it was, the two MMPR Black Rangers finally interacted.

Zack Working With Rocky & Kat Was A Power Rangers Fan Dream That Came True

Power Rangers: Once & Always’ Team Had Never Fought Together

Zack was not the only OG Power Ranger to exit the team in season 2, but the fact he got to interact with Rocky, Kat, Aisha, and Adam during Once & Always was special for a few reasons. While Zack and Jason left the original Power Rangers team at the same time, the latter returned two years later during the events of Zeo. As the Gold Ranger, Jason got to interact with most of the second-generation Rangers, including his Red Ranger replacement Rocky as well as Kat and Adam. Zack, however, would only return in Once & Always.

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MMPR season 2 did not handle the exits of Jason, Trini, and Zack well. Between the body doubles and Tommy replacing Jason as the leader with no explanation, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers season 2 had always been a complicated chapter in the show’s history. Once & Always helped fix that and made the Power Rangers universe feel more connected by delivering a few team-ups that not even the most optimistic fans of the show had ever thought they were going to get.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always is a 2023 film that reunites original cast members from the iconic 1990s television series. The story follows the Rangers as they face a new threat that tests their legacy and bond. With evolving powers and old adversaries, the Rangers must harness their teamwork and courage to protect the world once again. Directed by Charlie Haskell, this film stands as a nostalgic tribute to a beloved franchise.

Director

Charlie Haskell

Release Date

April 19, 2023

Studio(s)

Hasbro , Entertainment One

Distributor(s)

Netflix

Writers

Becca Barnes , Alwyn Dale

Cast

David Yost , Walter Jones , Catherine Sutherland , Steve Cardenas , Karan Ashley , Johnny Yong Bosch

Runtime

55 minutes

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