Reports emerged earlier this month that Japan's long-running Super Sentai series, the basis for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, was about to fight its final size-changing monster in early-2026 but they were a collection of rumors and unconfirmed speculation.
Now, word has come down from Toei, that Super Sentai's timeslot will be taken over by a new live-action tokusatsu show, Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity, the first entry in a new, planned franchise Project R.E.D. - "Records of Extraordinary Dimensions," via ANN.
To put that into perspective, this would be the equivalent of Power Rangers ending and being replaced by VR Troopers or Big Bad Beetleborgs.
This announcement from Toei confirmed an earlier, November 01 report that the Super Sentai series was ending due to "inadequate revenues from related events, tie-in goods and movie adaptations when compared with production costs." This means that the series is concluding after a 50-year, uninterrupted run on Japanese airwaves.
And the series is not concluding without a bit of controversy, as one of its stars has been fired and replaced, due to a purported scandal involving underage drinking.
Maya Imamori who portrayed Sumino Ichikawa aka the Gozyu Unicorn/ Black Ranger, was completely edited out one of the recent shows and will be replaced by Kohaku Shida in upcoming episodes.
Of course, Super Sentai is but one of several Japanese superhero shows in the tokusatsu genre, which includes Kamen Rider and Ultraman, so the genre will live on even if the upcoming Project R.E.D. doesn't pan out, ratings-wise.
Here in the U.S., the last season of Power Rangers to air was Power Rangers Cosmic Fury in 2023. Netflix also aired a 30th Anniversary special, titled Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always, also in 2023. However, 2023 would mark the first time in Power Rangers' U.S. history that there were no new or re-edited episodes to premiere.
On a more positive note, Power Rangers rights lapsed at Netflix and are now owned by Disney, who have commissioned the Percy Jackson and the Olympians showrunner duo of Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz to create a new Power Rangers series for Disney+.
Stay tuned to AnimeMojo for continued Super Sentai and Power Ranger coverage, as we count down to the former's final episode and await word on Disney+'s plans for the upcoming Power Rangers series.