Disney+ Drops Live-Action Power Rangers Series Plans

Disney+ has quietly pulled the plug on its planned live-action Power Rangers series. The development, which surfaced about a year and a half ago, will not move forward — and the reasons are as prosaic as they are decisive: money and ownership.

Jonathan A. Steinberg and Dan Shotz were tapped to write and executive produce the show, with 20th Television lined up as the producing studio. That trio sounded promising on paper — experienced showrunners, a seasoned studio, and a recognizable brand. But turning a colorful, action-heavy franchise into a high-end live-action drama requires deep pockets. When the streaming service or the studio doesn’t own the intellectual property outright, the math gets thorny fast.

The project was shelved primarily due to economics — the budget gap between ambition and ownership made it untenable.

Hasbro owns the Power Rangers IP, and while the toy company has been eager to shepherd a television reboot for years, the financial calculus differs for each potential partner. Netflix once explored a similar path. Disney+, which historically prioritized its own catalog, has in recent seasons broadened its scope to develop series based on outside properties — think Ella Enchanted and Casper — but not every pitch survives the ledger review.

What’s striking here is how pragmatic the decision feels. Big, effects-heavy superhero shows promise spectacle. They also promise ballooning costs. Add licensing fees and cross-company negotiations, and you end up with a project that demands a unique alignment of creative vision and corporate appetite — alignment that, this time, didn't materialize.

Meanwhile, Steinberg and Shotz aren’t disappearing. They’re wrapping up work on the third season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, another 20th Television production, scheduled to debut on November 20. They’re also attached to other projects with the studio, so their collaboration with 20th continues even as Power Rangers stalls.

For fans of the franchise, this is a pause rather than an obituary. Hasbro still owns the brand and still wants a live-action television incarnation. The question now is which platform — and which financial model — will be bold enough to bring it to life.

Expect more crossroads like this as streamers balance brand ambition with balance-sheet realities; the next bold move could come from an unexpected corner.