The new Power Rangers film, which hits theaters this Friday, will reportedly feature an LGBT Ranger on the colorful superhero squad.
Director Dean Israelite confirmed that Trini, the Yellow Ranger (played by actor Becky G), will come to terms with her sexuality and deal with some «girlfriend problems» in the Lionsgate reboot of the classic ’90s television series.
The director discussed a short scene that is «pivotal» for the entire film with The Hollywood Reporter.
“For Trini, really she’s questioning a lot about who she is,” Israelite said in the interview. “She hasn’t fully figured it out yet. I think what’s great about that scene and what that scene propels for the rest of the movie is, ‘That’s OK.’ The movie is saying, ‘That’s OK,’ and all of the kids have to own who they are and find their tribe.”
Fans of the series took to Twitter to share their reactions to the new plot development, which breaks away from the original series.
In the original television series, all the Power Rangers were portrayed as straight.
A lot of people were very excited to welcome a queer Ranger to the team.
Some declared Trini to already be a true LGBT icon.
And others are already praising the film’s diversity in its superhero cast.
Some argued that the Blue Ranger (Billy) should have been portrayed as gay, in honor of David Yost — the gay actor who played Billy in the original TV series.
But not everyone was totally pleased with the news.
Similarly, last week people shared their strong reactions to the news that Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast would feature a gay character.
While many comic book storylines have featured prominent LGBT characters and storylines, movies and television series have been slow to follow.
But slowly, big screen sci-fi characters and superheroes are becoming more diverse. The team behind Star Trek Beyond revealed last year that the character of Sulu would be portrayed as a gay man.
