Mighty Morphin Power Rangers head writer Tony Oliver regrets what he now views as racially insensitive casting for his Black and Asian leads, who played the Black and Yellow Power Rangers, respectively, in the kids’ TV show.
Oliver reflected on the series in Investigation Discovery’s newest episode of Hollywood Demons, per Entertainment Weekly, titled “Dark Side of the Power Rangers.” At the time, he said in the docuseries, “none of us are thinking stereotypes.”
First premiering on Fox Kids in 1993, the superhero series saw Walter Emanuel Jones originate the character of Zack Taylor, the Black Power Ranger, and Thuy Trang play the character of Trini Kwan, the first Yellow Power Ranger. As described by Oliver, the former “seemed to have the swagger of the group” while the latter was characterized as “the peaceful one, who tends to be the conscience of the group.” The duo remained on the show for two of its three total seasons, leaving due to contract disputes. (Trang was also not the original Yellow Power Ranger, but was recast after Audri Dubois, who first had the role, quit the show due to a salary dispute.)
Oliver said his assistant “pointed out” the offense that could be taken at the castings in a meeting one day, adding that “it was such a mistake” in retrospect.
In the docuseries episode, behind-the-scenes footage also reveals that the cast was aware of the optics and had fun with it occasionally, as seen in a throwback video where Jones pointedly says, “My name’s Walter Jones, I play Zack. I’m Black, and I play the Black Ranger — go figure.”
