'Power Rangers' fans are hyped about that credits scene—here's why
Like most geek-friendly blockbusters coming out of Hollywood these days, Lionsgate's Power Rangers reboot sets up the sequel with a "stinger" -- a scene inserted into the end credits.
That's what I'm here to fill you in on. Needless to say, spoilers ahead.
Midway through the credit roll we're treated to a familiar scene: our beloved heroes, fresh from saving the planet, are back in detention. A teacher calls the roll, but one student doesn't respond: Tommy Oliver.
As the teacher continues to call out the name with no response, the camera cuts to an empty desk. Slung over the chair behind it we can clearly see a green jacket. It doesn't take a super-fan to piece together the hint here: Tommy Oliver will one day be the Green Ranger.
But what's the lore explanation? Why does everyone in the theater shout with excitement in this recording as soon as they hear Tommy's name mentioned?
In the pre-boot days of Power Rangers lore, Tommy Oliver was indeed the Green Ranger. But there was a twist: Mr. Oliver started out as a baddie, in the service of none other than Rita Repulsa -- played by Elizabeth Banks in the new movie.
In the original stories, Tommy eventually freed himself and went on to become a key member of the Rangers. It's looking like there's a similar plan in place with this rebooted series.
There's more proof, as well. Lionsgate lost all semblance of chill Thursday evening when the Power Rangers Twitter feed blasted out a Green Ranger tease on March 23, just as the movie was arriving in theaters for early release attendees.
Here's the tweet. You can probably do the math on this one without any hints or prodding:
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Lionsgate has already confirmed that it sees a lengthy life ahead for this series, with a six-movie story arc planned. It's possible that the new reboot's less-than-stellar box office debut will necessitate some course correction but, for now at least, the Green Ranger clearly factors into whatever plans lie ahead.
Topics Film
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
