On Nov. 19, 2022, we lost a legend, particularly in the eyes of Power Rangers fans, when Jason David Frank died by suicide at 49. Frank had starred as Tommy Oliver in Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, the original series that started the decades-long phenomenon that continues today. Tommy was the original Green Ranger, the evil ranger who eventually became an ally to Zordon’s Power Rangers. Later, Tommy became the White Ranger and even a couple of different Red Rangers. But those first two suits, Green and White, always remained the most iconic in the eyes of fans. The same can be said for Frank, who would return to the franchise many times over, making him unquestionably the biggest star associated with the Power Rangers.
Leading up to his death, Frank had announced his departure from the franchise and chose not to participate in the 30th-anniversary event Power Rangers: Once & Always, which saw the return of many previous Power Rangers. Instead, Frank wanted to focus on other projects, including Legend of the White Dragon, which now has a trailer ahead of its theatrical release on August 28.
Legend of the White Dragon focuses on Erik Reed (Frank), a former superhero who has spent the last three years as a fugitive. Now he’s picking the mantle back up to protect his city and his family from an evil force. The trailer also makes clear that there’s a mystical element to the story, as it mentions a prophecy where the White Dragon will do battle with the Dark Dragon.
While not an official Power Rangers property, Legend of the White Dragon leans into the association with Power Rangers, as the White Dragon looks a bit like a combination of the Green Ranger and White Ranger suits. Plus, the Green Ranger was the Dragon Ranger, which means the name of the hero combines those two. The movie also stars a handful of other Power Rangers stars from the past, including Jason Faunt (Power Rangers Time Force), Cerina Vincent (Power Rangers Lost Galaxy), and Ciara Hanna (Power Rangers Megaforce). Like Frank, this is also the final film of Michael Madsen.
Filming for Legend of the White Dragon primarily took place in 2021 and Frank had frequently posted about his excitement for the project on social media. After his tragic death, the independent production company making the film, Bat in the Sun, vowed to complete Legend of the White Dragon as a tribute to Frank. Despite it taking years to complete, Bat in the Sun (with the help of distributor Well Go USA Entertainment) has lived up to its promise and Legend of the White Dragon will be hitting theaters on August 28. It’ll be a bittersweet occasion, to be sure, but Power Rangers fans who admired Frank — and who continue to admire him — will finally get to experience a little bit of what his post-Power Rangers career might have looked like, even if it’s just a glimpse.
The Power Rangers movie, now on Netflix, shows a better path forward for big franchises
Plus, the cast is incredible
