The landscape for dedicated fans of the Power Rangers franchise has become increasingly challenging. Across the globe, the long-standing Super Sentai series, which serves as the Japanese source material, has reportedly been put on an indefinite hiatus by Toei. Concurrently, stateside, the highly anticipated live-action Power Rangers series destined for Disney+ has unfortunately reached a dead end.
According to a recent report from Deadline Hollywood, the Disney+ project, under the guidance of Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz, the executive producing team behind Percy Jackson, will not proceed. This decision by Disney+ to forgo the series was reportedly driven by purely financial considerations, rather than any creative dissatisfaction with Steinberg and Shotz’s vision.
Just a month prior, at San Diego Comic-Con, a representative from Hasbro, the current rights holder for Power Rangers, confirmed that the series was actively in development, though not yet officially greenlit. What was particularly striking at the time was the conspicuous absence of any discussion or questions regarding the Power Rangers series, despite Steinberg and Shotz being present at SDCC to promote the third season of Percy Jackson and participating in post-panel press events. Now, the reason for that silence has become clear.
With the deal now officially dissolved, further details about Steinberg and Shotz’s creative plans for Power Rangers may emerge as they intensify promotional efforts for Percy Jackson season 3, which is scheduled to premiere on November 20, 2026. Prior to this official announcement, various rumors circulated regarding potential casting choices. Shaun Dixon (Vampirina: Teenage Vampire), Paris Bravo (Bad Therapy), Judd Goodstein (You Are So Not Invited to Your Bat Mitzvah), Momona Tamada (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Christian Alexander Cruz (New Girl), Kira McLean (Permanent), and Mason Thames (The Black Phone, How To Train Your Dragon) were all reportedly considered or had even auditioned for roles. Another prominent rumor suggested that Priyanka Chopra (Quantico, CITADEL) was in negotiations to portray the franchise’s iconic villain, Rita Repulsa.
The Disney+ Power Rangers project was first rumored in March 2025, with official confirmation following in December 2025. Under the leadership of the new Disney CEO, Josh D’Amaro, who succeeded Bob Iger in March 2026, there has been a significant reduction in spending for Disney+. This shift in financial strategy has already led to the cancellation of Wonder Man season 2, despite its numerous Emmy nominations. Similarly, the number of high-profile and high-budget Marvel Studios and Star Wars productions has been considerably scaled back for the foreseeable future compared to previous years.
Before Hasbro and Disney+ embarked on this Power Rangers development, a similar arrangement was in place with Netflix. In November 2021, Hasbro and Netflix announced that filmmaker Jonathan Entwistle (*The End of the F**ing World) had been tapped to lead a reimagined Power Rangers universe spanning both film and television. However, by mid-2024, reports indicated that the Entwistle-led live-action reboot had stalled and was no longer progressing at Netflix. This development then led to the project’s shift to Disney+.
With the Power Rangers property now facing setbacks at both Netflix and Disney+, it prompts speculation on where Hasbro might turn next. Perhaps streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video or HBO Max could be the next potential homes for the franchise. The future of the live-action Power Rangers remains uncertain, but fans are undoubtedly eager for its continued existence. For more breaking news and updates, visit our breaking news section.
