The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers recently returned for a celebration of the 30th Anniversary for the Power Rangers franchise with a new reunion special now streaming with Netflix, and David Yost and Walter Emanuel Jones opened up about their return to the franchise after so long with ComicBook.com in a special interview! Part of the major appeal for both classic and new Power Rangers fans was seeing Yost and Jones in particular reprise their roles for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always. The two of them were part of the original crew of Rangers, but have not been involved with the franchise for a very long time.
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It was a welcome comeback in many ways as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always soon took over Netflix alongside its debut, so it was clear to many that the desire was there to see these classic characters power up for a new adventure. The special aged up the Power Rangers franchise and the characters within in many ways, so we here at ComicBook.com had to ask its two leads about how much has changed for them in coming back after all this time.
Read on for our interview (which has been edited for clarity) with David Yost and Walter Emanuel Jones as they break down their feelings about suiting up again for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always, the changing tone of the series for the new special, and whether they would be interested in returning for more!
Would you want to see more of Billy and Zack in new Power Rangers episodes or specials? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things Power Rangers, animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!
Back in Action After Nearly 30 Years
NICK VALDEZ, COMICBOOK.COM: It’s great seeing you two suit up again and back in action, so I just wanted to know, how does it feel on your end? What moment really helped it sink in for you?
WALTER EMANUEL JONES: I think, for me, just being on the set in the Command Center and then stepping up and saying, “It’s Morphin’ time,” was like, “I’m doing this, I’m going to morph, let’s go.” I was like, “It’s been a long time. It’s been 28 years since I did this.” That moment, I think for me, was definitely one of the standout moments.
DAVID YOST: For sure. Always getting to say “It’s Morphin’ time” or yell “Triceratops!” or “Mastodon!,” whatever. That certainly puts a shock wave in your acting body and you’re like, “Oh wow, we’re really back in this, aren’t we?” But I will say, I think for me, the day that Walter and I had to get back in our spandex was an eye-opening experience for me. To be a middle-aged gentleman walking around in spandex, we pulled it off, I think. But that was sort of a surreal moment for me because it’s like, “Wow, we really are doing this again.” So, it was a lot of fun. Obviously it was a pretty intense scene as well. It was a lot of fun to get to film that and bring that ’93 era into where we are now.
What Have Billy and Zack Been Up To?
One of the big things fans were excited for was seeing you two, seeing Billy and Zack on screen, as Power Rangers again for the first time in a long time. Not only that, but getting these updates about how their lives have been since we’ve last seen them. Was there one thing that each of you wanted to get across for your characters to maybe fill in those gaps since we’ve seen them last?
JONES: I think I just wanted the fans to know that being a Ranger was always in my heart, and it was something that I would always want to do. I would always be willing to step back into that place if need be. Just going off to where I went off to, where was it? Where did I go? I went to the Peace Conference, right? [laughs] Going out there to that place. I didn’t anticipate that it would take so long to get back, but I was happy to be back.
YOST: Yeah, I mean obviously last time they saw Billy, Billy was sent off to Aquitar. I’ve always been curious and wanted to tell people where Billy’s been. I think a lot of fans assumed that Billy just stayed on Aquitar for all these years, but for me that never made sense. He’s too inquisitive of a person to be like that. I think after a few years he started traveling the universe and kind of became his own Captain Kirk. And we kind of get to see a little bit of that in this special, but we know that Billy’s come back to Earth and he’s created Cranston Technologies, but there are certainly hints that Billy often goes out and travels in space. I thought that was really a cool thing, and feels really authentic to where Billy would be and is.
Did the Futures Match?
So, speaking of that, it’s revealed that Zach is a congressman and Billy actually did leave Aquitar, which is great. But did those futures come any close to what you might have had in mind for your characters coming back?
JONES: Well, personally, I really like the vision the Boom! Comics has with the three of us going off and becoming an elite group of Rangers, intergalactic Rangers, going around to different galaxies, or to dimensions, and helping other Rangers. I think that definitely serves Zack’s character in a way that was greater than just becoming a politician. Although I was happy that at least it was showing that Zack still had helping people in mind.
YOST: Absolutely. And again, just getting the hints that Billy is often out in space is certainly something that I would want for my character. I feel like it’s pretty in line with what I would want for Billy, so I don’t really have any issues there.
How David Yost Reacted to Billy’s Once & Always Role
Great, that’s great to hear! But at the same time, there are some very heavy themes that Once and Always deals with. Both of your characters are dealing with some very real grief in a lot of ways. First, David, I wanted to ask you. How does it feel to come back and explore this new version of Billy, who’s not only dealing with grief, but also dealing with the guilt of setting Once and Always in motion essentially?
YOST: I mean, as David, I kind of have panic going on right now until this thing airs because it can go a lot of different ways. And I don’t know that I got what I wanted a hundred percent for Billy, because Billy’s put in a position where Trini steps up and saves Billy, basically. She puts her life on the line for Billy. So, obviously that’s difficult as a character to have that grief. And then her daughter, Minh, basically steps up and does the same thing.
And so for me as a character, I’m like, “What’s going on?” And it plays with my mind a little bit, character-wise, but hopefully the resolution is there enough. I really would’ve liked a scene, a little bit more of a scene, with Billy and Minh really kind of trying to reconcile a more loving type of relationship. It’s there, but I really wish we could have had more of a conversation about everything that transpired and how the guilt that Billy really does feel and carries with him.
It’s there, but it’s not. So, hopefully the fans will be kind. And then we did discuss a lot, “What is the tone of this? How do we keep it the nostalgic ’93 Power Rangers, but how do we bring it into an adult version and how do we deal with real emotions and how far do we go with those emotions?” There’s a lot of discussion about tone, and hopefully the tone is right. I do think it is right because it touches on the seriousness of it, but it still gives the fans, obviously the Power Rangers love that they’re going to love. Again, it was great as an actor to get to deal with all of those things, and I just hope that the fans really embrace it.
How Walter Jones Reacted to Zack’s Once & Always Role
And Walter, on your end of things, Zack has become more of a guardian and a mentor this time around due to everything that happens. So, what was your process in approaching adding this extra layer to Zack who has significantly changed from the last time we’ve seen him?
JONES: Well, I think the character, Zack, has always been someone that felt responsible for being a protector of people in general. And my team, my family, everybody, anybody around me that needed help. I think Zack always wanted to be there for them. And even as a congressman, continue to help people in the community. I think when he steps up to care for Trini’s daughter, that is something that he would just do.
It’s like something that he has the heart that wants to help and help build and help guide. And for me, as Walter, as an actor, I found that position easy to step into because I have two kids. I have a nine-year-old and a 15-year-old, so I’ve already helped them. I’ve guided them in their lives so they become adults. And then to give that energy to Charlie Kersh, as man, it just seemed natural.
Working With the New Yellow Ranger
Speaking of that actually, working with Charlie Kersh, both of you have some very intense scenes. Zack talks to her about what being a Ranger is about, and Billy’s going through everything he’s going through with Charlie Kersh’s Minh. What did the both of you enjoy most about working with Charlie and ushering this new actress into the franchise?
JONES: I love the fact that she was so well-prepared. I mean, she worked hard to be ready for every scene and for every physical challenge, and yet she was still very pliable. When you’re acting with someone, if they’re stuck in a way of doing things, if they’re not reacting to what you give them, then that can make us seem very still. But she was very good at being present in the moment and taking everything that was given to her.
YOST: Yeah, I mean, she really embodied her character well, and you could really feel that she had researched Trini, I think, and she was always prepared, as Walter was saying. I remember one time, Billy always has these long lines, whatever, and long words that he is got to say, and I kept getting stumbled. I’d stumble on my line, and she’d whisper my line to me in my ear. And one time she’s like, “Why am I the only one that knows everybody’s lines?” And so I just thought that was funny.
She’s very smart and a super talented martial artist, and she was such a great addition, and I’m really excited to see where her career goes. I think she makes a great Yellow Ranger and she’s got a lot of natural talent and a lot of natural gifts. So, it was a lot of fun to work with her because obviously it can be intimidating to come work with Walter and I, the two guys that started this whole thing and we could have been jerks, but I don’t think we were. And we all had a lot of fun together.
JONES: She was very well-loved and embraced, and she felt very comfortable with it to be playful. And that was great because we had, that we have together.
Billy Cranston vs. Tony Stark
Billy’s kind of become the Tony Stark of Power Rangers. He’s got the sweet tech, he got a business that’s doing really well, he’s a superhero, and he even has his own Ultron in Robo Rita. David, I just want to know what you feel about that comparison? With these little MCU flavors in there?
YOST: Well, I mean, think that’s a huge compliment. I think obviously Billy’s probably smarter than Tony Stark, no offense. Yeah, I think Billy’s leaps and bounds ahead of a lot of people. And he doesn’t get the kudos that he should because of that. I mean, he had a flying car. He built a flying car when he was 16, and he built communicators that can teleport people when he was 16. His brain is just always thinking, I think, and obviously it’s really cool to get to see Cranston tech, Cranston Technologies, and he’s kind kind of designed it about the way that the old command center looked and he’s got all these fancy cars, but he still always has the Radbug that’s out there flying around. So, it’s a pretty cool comparison if people compare Billy to Tony Stark.
Bring Hip Hop Kido Back
One of the things that took me by surprise, Walter, we get some of Zack’s Hip Hop Kido! Did you put that sequence together? Because there were some slick moves that it kind of seems like you would’ve had to come up with them yourself.
JONES: No. [laughs]. I mean, Hip Hop Kido was something that was created for me. I was able to sit down with the stunt guys and talk through what I wanted to do, and explain to them why it was going to work, why this worked, “So, this would work in this way…” And it was interesting because I would talk to the stunt guys and they would ask advice, “Well, in Hip Hop Kido, how would you do this sequence?” And I would go, “Well, thinking from a hip hop perspective, I would probably move to here and then go to there because that ideally makes sense to me and the way of movement.” It was a lot of fun. Obviously, Hip Hop Kido is more painful than it used to be, but we knocked it out and they were like, “Zack still got it. Hey Zack, don’t crack. Let’s go.”
YOST: It was very, very impressive, Walter. I have to give you a lot of props for what you did. It was amazing.
JONES: Thank you. Thank you so much.
What Didn’t Make the Cut?
Was there anything that you ended up shooting for the special that didn’t make the cut that you were hoping to see?
YOST: Well, for me, a lot of Billy’s stuff got cut, so I don’t really know what to say about it, or shortened, I should say. A lot of stuff got shortened down, but I think all the crucial elements are there. When we’re in the Moon Palace and Billy pulls out the Blade Blaster and he starts shooting…we really shot this whole sequence of Billy running through the Moon Palace trying to shoot a Putty with the blade blaster, but you only see it for a second. And I was like, “Oh, wow, man, I shot all this stuff and it just doesn’t show up there.” I was a little disappointed in that, but overall, it’s still there, so I can’t complain.
JONES: I don’t think there was much that I felt that went missing. I know obviously some things were cut, whether it be lines here or there or some of the physical activity, but I was pretty satisfied with the way it turned out.
Honoring Thuy Trang and Trini
Seeing Once and Always, to me, felt like it really captured what made Thuy [Trang] and Trini special, and it feels like a love letter to her in a way. I just want to know from your perspectives, whether or not it feels the same way, and if so, what was the most important element that you felt when bringing all of this real world stuff into Power Rangers and treating it the right way? What did you want to come across with all these heavier themes?
JONES: I personally, I was really happy that we were able to finally say goodbye to her, meaning that we could come together as a group within Power Rangers and fandom and give kudos to who she was and what she provided within Rangers because…I think she was the heart of our team. Everybody has something they did within our team that we were specialists. I think that’s what made her a specialist. As Power Rangers, we were teenagers with attitude, but because we were confident in what we did, everybody had something they did really well.
When we came together as a team, that made us special. I think Trini’s character really was the heart. I think it was really important for us to be able to say goodbye to her in a way where we honor her and give her flowers finally, because it’s been a number of years, and now we’re all finally mature enough to deal with it. You know what I mean?
YOST: Yeah. I’m really glad that Hasbro stepped up to the plate and really wanted to honor Thuy as an actress and the character that she played, Trini, because Trini obviously meant so much to so many people, especially to young girls. She was a female superhero, and obviously she meant a lot to Asian women everywhere, giving them hope. And her character was so sweet, yet so strong, and she was obviously always Billy’s translator. Nobody could understand what Billy was saying. So, Trini was always the character that sort of helped Billy express himself.
And so I think it’s such a great way that we got to honor her and I’m glad that we got to do it. And Walter and I, and Austin [St. John] and Amy Jo [Johnson] and Jason David Frank, we used to always…When we’d see each other at Comic-Con, we were always wishing that Thuy could be there with us to experience the amazing love that the Power Rangers fans have for us and what our show did in so many lives, and how it’s just transpired and inspired over all these years. And it was just really great to get to see that. And we hear so many stories about her and how excited fans are to get to see how we’re going to honor her in this special. I’ll be really curious to see how it goes.
A Mature Future for the Power Rangers?
We’re dealing with all this stuff because 30 years is a long time, and we get some big moments in Once & Always. To me it felt like it grew up with me. I just want to know from your two perspectives, seeing the final product, whether or not you felt like it was the more mature version of the show that you wanted to see when coming back to it?
YOST: I think it certainly is. I think it embraces a lot of what Power Rangers was in the ’90s. It still has a little bit of the kitschiness of it, but it shows an evolution of where we are now. I certainly think because the theme and the story is more adult in some ways, that we’re kind of preparing, let’s say. We’re preparing our fans who are 18 to 39, whatever, that we’re going to take this in a little bit darker, a little bit more mature way, and we’re going to deal with real life situations.
I think it’s really great that we were able to do that in this special, and I think fans, our fans, the original fans, because they’re adults now, are going to really enjoy it because they can relate to it more than if we were just shooting a kid’s version of what we did 30 years ago. I’m excited to see what they feel about it. Obviously, there’s been so much hype already and people are so excited to see it. Because of that, maybe more will come out of it and we’ll get to see the original cast in maybe a limited series or something like that. Hopefully this will just be the tip of the iceberg as we start onto a new journey.
JONES: Yeah, I really feel like that this has potential to be like Cobra Kai in the sense that there are lots of stories to be told, and we can go anywhere in the universe. We have multiverses. I mean, there’s been so many casts in so many different places and so many different situations with different powers and Zordons, and so forth and dimensions and galaxies. I think there’s just so much more we can do with it, and the fact that we’ve added Jeopardy to the pot, can definitely may be something that the adult realm of fans will be very excited about.
If you two got the call to come back again someday, would you be down for it?
JONES: I would definitely consider it, absolutely.
YOST: I’m always open to the possibility, for sure.
