Before it was scrapped, Netflix’s Power Rangers franchise would have focused on Tommy Oliver

Jonathan Entwistle reveals that the Power Rangers franchise he was developing for Netflix would have focused on Tommy Oliver. The post Before it was scrapped, Netflix’s Power Rangers franchise would have focused on Tommy Oliver appeared first on JoBlo.

May 28, 2025 - 08:45

Before it was scrapped, Netflix’s Power Rangers franchise would have focused on Tommy Oliver

Jonathan Entwistle (Karate Kid: Legends) was once set to lead a new Power Rangers cinematic universe, spanning both TV series and films on Netflix. The ambitious project spent two years in development before Hasbro shifted creative directions, and Netflix ultimately stepped away. During a Reddit AMA to promote the new Karate Kid movie, Entwistle shared a few details on the Power Rangers project, including revealing that Tommy Oliver would have been the main focus.

“I was working on Power Rangers waaaay back in 2018 when it was at Paramount. I was writing a movie version,” Entwistle said. “Then Hasbro bought eOne and it was all shaken up again, the movie was shelved and then a TV series became the new focus, I started work on that, mapping out how that could work with multiple movies, shows and animations – we worked closely with Netflix on all of that. And then eOne was no more and the whole concept of the show and movies just got lost in that shuffle. It really sucks because it was such a cool approach, Star Wars level, but I think Hasbro just couldn’t get everyone behind the same approach.“

He continued, “From as early as 2018 I had created an entire new universe for Power Rangers – kind of a multiverse (it was v fashionable back then haha) I wasn’t doing MMPR specifically, but Tommy Oliver was the center of the world, all the mythology was surrounding him being one of the most important people in the universe… because we all know what he would become. So it was basically a time-bending HUGE story about stopping Drakkon from taking power over everything. The TV series had a kind of really cool King Arthur-vibe, that was the angle, more mystical, magical to start us off. Jenny Klein who was writing that show also came up with a very very cool idea for sentient colors… but alas, it never went anywhere. Which sucks, I would’ve LOVED to have made that universe a reality!“

It was announced earlier this year that a new live-action Power Rangers TV series is in the works for Disney+ and 20th Century TV. Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz are in talks to write, produce, and serve as showrunners of the new series. The pair are already serving as the showrunners of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which also streams on Disney+.

Entwistle’s next project, Karate Kid: Legends, will hit theaters on May 30. The official synopsis reads: “In Karate Kid: Legends, after a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother. Li struggles to let go of his past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates, and although he doesn’t want to fight, trouble seems to find him everywhere. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren’t enough. Li’s kung fu teacher Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.“

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