Watch How The New 'Power Rangers' Movie Is Celebrating Diversity

On Friday, the latest “Power Rangers” movie will be released in the United States, marking a new, more diverse era in the popular franchise. 

The original 1993 series caught some backlash for playing on racial stereotypes specifically by having an Asian woman play the “yellow” ranger and a black man play the “black” ranger (who fought in a “hip-hop” style). 

But it seems as though the new reboot, directed by Dean Israelite, is seeking to expand the world of the rangers by including a cast that is not only racially diverse but also intersect at other less-represented identities. 

The reboot features a strong Asian male lead as the black ranger, a refreshing casting in light of Hollywood’s ongoing issue with positioning Asian men as heroes in mainstream films. In addition to that, the new Power Rangers also include a queer character played by Mexican-American actress Becky G and an autistic character, played by black actor RJ Cyler. 

“There was no specific look to what the characters had to look like,” Becky G explained in a recent interview with MTV. “We could be anybody.” 

It looks like at least one Hollywood movie has gotten the memo diversity isn’t just about filling quotas, but creating characters with truly unique experiences and backgrounds. 

From a show with one-dimensional and often stereotypical POC characters the franchise has morphed into a reboot with characters of diverse ethnicities, abilities, and sexual orientations proving that together, we really can do anything. 

Watch the video above to see how “Power Rangers” has begun to evolve.