Disney+ has opted not to move forward with a planned live-action television series based on the long-running Power Rangers franchise, according to a report by Deadline. The project, which had been in development at the streaming service for approximately a year and a half, will not advance beyond that stage.
The series was being written and executive produced by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz, the team behind the successful Percy Jackson and the Olympians adaptation. That show is produced by 20th Television, the same studio attached to the Power Rangers effort. Steinberg and Shotz had been developing the new project under their overall deal with the studio while also completing work on the third season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on November 20.
Sources familiar with the situation indicate that the decision stems primarily from business and financial considerations rather than any fundamental creative shortcomings. Producing a high-end live-action superhero series of the scale associated with Power Rangers requires a substantial investment. The economics become less attractive for a streamer and its producing partner when they do not control the underlying intellectual property. In this case, the Power Rangers brand is owned by Hasbro, which has sought for some time to launch a new live-action series adaptation. Netflix had previously explored a version of the concept several years earlier without ultimately bringing it to fruition.
The move comes at a time when Disney+ has begun to expand its development slate beyond strictly Disney-owned properties. In recent months the streamer has pursued deals involving outside intellectual property, including potential series based on Ella Enchanted and Casper. Despite this openness to external material, the specific financial profile of a Power Rangers series appears to have proven challenging under current market conditions.
Power Rangers originated as a live-action superhero franchise in the early 1990s, combining American storytelling with Japanese tokusatsu footage from the Super Sentai series. Over more than three decades it has generated numerous television seasons, feature films, toys, and other merchandise, building a multigenerational fan base. Hasbro acquired the brand and has continued to explore ways to revive it in live-action form suitable for contemporary streaming audiences. The involvement of experienced showrunners with a proven track record on a comparable fantasy-adventure series had raised expectations that a fresh take might succeed where earlier efforts had stalled.
The cost of visual effects, action sequences, suit designs, and ensemble casts for such projects can quickly escalate. When a streamer must also factor in licensing fees or revenue-sharing arrangements with an external rights holder, the overall return on investment calculation shifts. In contrast, fully owned intellectual property allows for greater control over costs, merchandising, and long-term exploitation across platforms. This dynamic has influenced greenlight decisions across the streaming sector as companies reassess spending priorities in a more competitive and cost-conscious environment.
Steinberg and Shotz remain focused on their existing commitments. In addition to wrapping the upcoming season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, they are developing other projects for 20th Television. Their overall deal positions them to continue contributing to the studio’s slate even as this particular initiative concludes.
The decision not to proceed leaves open the possibility that Hasbro may seek other partners for a live-action Power Rangers series. Streaming platforms and traditional networks continue to evaluate superhero and franchise material, though the bar for approval has risen amid broader industry scrutiny of budgets and audience engagement metrics. For Disney+, the outcome reflects a measured approach to external intellectual property even as the service selectively incorporates non-Disney titles into its development pipeline.
Power Rangers has demonstrated enduring cultural resonance through its themes of teamwork, morphing technology, and battles against monstrous threats. Fans of the franchise have followed successive generations of Rangers across television and film. While the Disney+ version will not materialize, the brand itself remains active in other media, and future adaptations could still emerge under different creative and financial arrangements. The current development process has ended without advancing to production, underscoring the complex interplay of creative ambition, ownership structures, and economic realities that shape contemporary television development.
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