When Netflix‘s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Again special was announced in January, many were surprised that original Pink Power Ranger Amy Jo Johnson was not part of the cast.
The 52-year-old actress revealed shortly after the special was announced that she, ‘never said no,’ to the special, adding, ‘I just didn’t say yes to what was offered.’
Many speculated that she declined to work on the series because she wasn’t offered enough money to return, though she clarified her reasons, to an extent, in two new tweets she sent on Sunday.
‘Please stop saying I didn’t do reunion because of money Simply not true,’ Johnson began.
‘Maybe I just didn’t want to wear spandex in my 50s or couldn’t go to NZ for a month. Or none of ur beeswax,’ she added.
Amy explains: When Netflix’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Again special was announced in January, many were surprised that original Pink Power Ranger Amy Jo Johnson was not part of the cast
No: The 52-year-old actress revealed shortly after the special was announced that she, ‘never said no,’ to the special, adding, ‘I just didn’t say yes to what was offered’
The actress continued that her fellow co-star Jason David Frank, who played Tommy Oliver, the original Green Ranger, also didn’t appear in the special.
‘JDF & I both chose not to for our own reasons. They filmed before he passed,’ she said, noting the actor’s death at just 49 years of age in November.
She added in another tweet, ‘Excited to see my pals @DavidYost & @WalterEJones rock it though!!’ with the #PowerRangers hashtag.
Back in January, after the special was first announced, Johnson tweeted, ‘For the record I never said no…I just didn’t say yes to what was offered. But other fun stuff is in-store! Looking forward to watching my friends kick a**! #PowerRangers30’
The special brings back several stars from the original series, which only ran for three seasons but spawned a massive franchise, such as David Yost (Blue Ranger/Billy Cranston), Walter E. Jones (Black Ranger/Zack Taylor) and Barbara Goodson (Rita Repulsa).
Also returning are Catherine Sutherland (Kat Hillard/second Pink Ranger, Steve Cardenas, (Rocky DeSantos/second Red Ranger), Karan Ashley (Aisha Campbell/second Yellow Ranger) and Johnny Yong Bosch (Adam Park/second Black Ranger), though Amy Jo Johnson – the original Pink Ranger – revealed she declined their offer to return.
The new special will find all of these characters reuniting as they battle Rita Repulsa after discovering she killed Trini Kwan, the original Yellow Ranger (Thuy Trang, who died in 2001 at just 27 after a horrific car accident).
The special will also feature Catherine Sutherland – who played the second Pink Ranger Katherine Hillard – with the actress adding, ‘There’s so many little Easter eggs. I just think it’s going to give the fans everything they want.’
Green: The actress continued that her fellow co-star Jason David Frank (middle in white), who played Tommy Oliver, the original Green Ranger, also didn’t appear in the special.
Others: Also returning are Catherine Sutherland (Kat Hillard/second Pink Ranger, Steve Cardenas, (Rocky DeSantos/second Red Ranger), Karan Ashley (Aisha Campbell/second Yellow Ranger) and Johnny Yong Bosch (Adam Park/second Black Ranger), though Amy Jo Johnson – the original Pink Ranger – revealed she declined their offer to return
It was certainly a happy reunion for David Yost and Walter Jones, who originated the roles of the Blue Ranger Billy Cranston and Black Ranger Zack Taylor.
‘It’s been really exciting to film a 30-year anniversary special,’ 54-year-old Yost gushed.
‘Just getting to work with Walter, obviously, we have a long history together…It’s such a different take on what we’ve done before, but a lot of the same elements are there.’
But it was the first time that Steve Cardenas – who played second Red Ranger Rocky DeSantos – had ever worked with the 52-year-old Jones.
‘We are a family of Rangers, so to finally be on a set with them was really interesting,’ Cardenas said.
Also returning for the Netflix special is Karan Ashley (the second Yellow Ranger), Johnny Yong Bosch (the second Black Ranger), Barbara Goodson (Rita Repulsa’s voice), and Richard Horvitz (Alpha’s voice).
‘The Power Rangers come face to face with a familiar threat from the past,’ the logline read.
Johnson hasn’t acted since 2019’s The Has Been, which she also directed, and she also recently directed an episode of Superman & Lois for The CW.
Rangers: ‘We are a family of Rangers, so to finally be on a set with them was really interesting,’ Cardenas said
Actress-director: Johnson hasn’t acted since 2019’s The Has Been, which she also directed, and she also recently directed an episode of Superman & Lois for The CW
