The Green Ranger is arguably the most popular Power Ranger of all time, and fans were sad to see him written off after he reached the peak of his popularity. But Tommy Oliver was later brought back to the show as the White Ranger, and even though most fans embraced the change, some were left asking questions as to why Tommy didn’t just return as the Green Ranger.
During a recent appearance on That Hashtag Show, Jason David Frank talked about why the change was made. According to Frank, the Green Ranger was written off the show when he lost his powers, and he ended up working on a show called “Cybertron” which later became “VR Troopers.” Frank says he loved the Cybertron character, but the popularity of the Green Ranger forced the powers that be to bring Tommy Oliver back.
“They said we have an issue, and I said what’s the issue? You lost your powers from the show, and kids around the world, parents, and everyone are calling and saying hey, my kid’s not going to eat, they’re not going to school, so Saban and FOX freaked out and brought me back on the show as the White Ranger,” Jason David Frank said via Comicbook.com. “It’s a true story, they had a petition around petitioning “we need to bring the Green Ranger back.”
So why did Tommy return as the White Ranger?
“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” used recycled footage from the Japanese Sentai series, and Jason David Frank says they needed to do something different when they ran out of Green Ranger footage, which is why he became the White Ranger.
“So we ran out of Green Ranger footage, so couldn’t bring the Green Ranger back, so they went to the next season and brought me back as the White Ranger, which I thought was just as cool.”
Tommy Oliver’s Green Ranger and White Ranger were both fan favorites, but it’s safe to say that the Green Ranger’s legacy has burned brighter throughout the years.
Jason David Frank also addresses rumors of a feud with Red Ranger Austin St. John and more in the full interview which can be seen below.
