Super Sentai, the Original Show Behind Power Rangers, Cancelled After 50 Years Says New Report

It looks like Toei’s original Super Sentai franchise has been cancelled after 50 long years of the TV shows according to a new report. If you are aware of the Mighty Morphin Power
Rangers, or any of the other teams that have come in the decades since, then you have heard of Super Sentai. Beginning in Japan 50 long years ago, the Tokusatsu franchise introduced fans to teams of colorful heroes who suited up to fight against the forces of evil. It was such a success that much of that footage was later taken for the Power Rangers franchise to reach a new worldwide audience.

According to a new report from Kyodo News and other outlets in Japan, TV Asahi will be ending its broadcast of Super Sentai after the currently airing series, No.1 Sentai Gozyuger. Though TV Asahi themselves have yet to confirm or deny the matter, and have only noted that they would not comment on “future programming,” this could mark the end of the 50 year franchise. Which began with the debut of Himitsu Sentai Goranger in Japan way back in 1975.

What Does This Mean for the Future of Power Rangers?

Power Rangers wrapped up its own 30 year run sometime ago with the release of Power Rangers Cosmic Fury with Netflix, and is currently in limbo with a new Disney+ reboot series currently in the works (at least according to the latest updates and reports). This had fans wondering about the future of that franchise in particular, and what it would mean for the original Super Sentai source show behind it. Because up to the end of its run, Power Rangers had been taking its footage, costumes, ideas and more from Super Sentai‘s releases for its own shows.

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With this new rebooted version of Power Rangers now in the works, it’s highly likely that it will further distance itself from Toei’s Super Sentai roots and instead draw more inspiration from the Power Rangers side of things as well. There’s a chance that the two franchises will truly split after all this time, and marking that new era just might come with the end of Super Sentai itself. But it’s not all doom and gloom just yet, however, as Super Sentai fans are still holding out hope that this might not be a cancellation but the start of a rebrand instead.

What’s Happening to Super Sentai?

Though TV Asahi will reportedly end its broadcast of Super Sentai, it might just instead be ending its current broadcast of what is known as Super Sentai. Fans are hoping that with the Tokusatsu currently in the midst of airing its 49th different series after 50 years, that it will instead kick off a new era with a potential rebrand for its 50th series. Sort of as a way to commemorate a much brighter future for the franchise to come. It’s certainly a more appealing view of it than this just being an outright end.

Super Sentai has been a mainstay in Japan since 1975 alongside other Toei productions like Kamen Rider, and has seemingly still be hitting its high marks in the last few years. An outright end to the franchise would feel like a big blow for many fans, and undoubtedly would mean that TV just got a little less special. But with the franchise being tough to watch outside of Japan compared to Kamen Rider’s latest releases, there’s not much fans outside of Japan can do to show their support.

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HT – Kyodo News