Hasbro GAVE Power Rangers to Playmates Toys?!

Hasbro GAVE Power Rangers to Playmates Toys?!
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No - they didn't exactly GIVE Power Rangers to Playmates Toys. But, it's still interesting news for the toy industry! Hasbro has announced that they have licensed Power Rangers to Playmates Toys, who will begin producing a line of kids focused Mighty Morphin Power Rangers toys in 2025.
So, what does this mean? Will this be the end of Hasbro's Lightning Collection? What happens to the collectors? Is this a good move for Power Rangers? Let's speculate!
Special thanks to my good friend ‪@BlackNerdComedy‬ for the fun cameo! If you're not already following Andre, do it now!
#PixelDan #PowerRangers #TMNT
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[@geekinitwithjimclassic8240]

Yea, I remember when Hasbro got the Power Rangers line, I thought Zords was going to be a no-brainer. And it never happened... such a missed opportunity.

[@brockenspeedstorm]

What do you mean? They made Mighty Morphin and In-Space Megazords.

[@Newsystuffs]

@@brockenspeedstorm And they both sucked. For a company that helped popularize the idea of a combining robot in America, this really shouldn't have been THAT hard to accomplish. Especially since Bandai already set the bar low by the time Hasbro bought the franchise. Then again, given how badly they've been treating their other lines, this doesn't come as a shock.

[@jasonwoods7802]

I was very sad to hear this news. Was really hoping that Hasbro would bring back the Lightning Collection to finish off some teams, the helmets and weapons. Hasbro screwed the line with their pricing. The move from $20 to $25 a figure really took a toll on the collecting community. Couple that with QC issues and not having a truly passionate team to push the product, it didn’t have the chance to come back.

[@wendyandcarla2176]

I was hoping to add samurai and ninja storm to the team

[@stevenshanks8221]

I think a few things are going on. To appease investors, Hasbro is cutting costs and reducing headcount (layoffs). So, they license out the property to monetize it. They can still make money off it without much risk and without worrying about stagnant inventory. My guess is if Playmates didn’t license it, Hasbro would have let the property rest.

[@Arufonsa1]

This all makes sense.

[@Loremastrful]

Beat me to it.

[@saimaidar9417]

Even more so the current Board of Hasbro made up of mostly former Microsoft employees do not want to make toys at all. They also licensed out Tonka trucks to another company this past Christmas.

[@wolfman210]

Pretty much, Chris Cocks since he took over has been adamant about returning Hasbro to focusing on fewer profitable core brands like before the failed Goldner expansion.

[@yubl10]

@saimaidar9417 You have a bunch of tech guys running a toy company. That's just weird to me. Of course, they would want to turn it into a gaming/ media company because that's what they know the best.

[@GFTheSanrioAndTokusatsuFanGN04]

Toei: Damn I Wish KingOhger adapted into Power Rangers and Have a Crossover with Dino Charge!

[@ModelsExInferis]

Eh? King-Ohger quite famously has a "crossover" with Kyoruyger. It was Kyoruyger's 10th anniversary last year.

[@ShootItALBY]

Hasbro: "Take our problem Playmates! Free of charge!!"

[@wolfman210]

Pretty much, Hasbro ran into the same problem Saban did when he rebought the franchise from Disney. Outside of MMPR the ip is worthless.

[@kevinbernatek7875]

Im glad we got the Alien Rangers, Omega Rangers, and TMNT MMPR sets. Just wish we would’ve gotten a MMPR movie set. We did get their Ninja get ups which is cool…but those movie costumes 🤩

[@mariosion]

Good news is that Voltron and the all the Megazords all came from Toei in Japan, adaptations might have been made by different companies, but Toei designed the source material for both, I think Playmates did a good job representing Voltron overall. Let’s hope any Megazord that comes from this gets the same treatment! Voltron wasn’t perfect, but pretty good overall!

[@Logpet09]

There is a current Power Rangers vs Godzilla comic series in print. You could be onto something... 🤔

[@R.J.Godzilla81]

Playmates back in the 90’s made not so great Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad figures but those were still better than their more recent Godzilla figures. I see dark days ahead for Power Rangers fans.

[@Brad_Bane]

Hasbro already licenses GI Joe and Transformers to Super7 and a few other toy companies. But, this feels different.

[@cyberius7042]

It isn't really news, though, Hasbro has already been pulling back in the action figure market. They've been licensing out GI Joe to Super7 for a while now and recently announced a deal with McFarlane for GI Joe and Transformers toys. They've been licensing out Dungeons & Dragons to NECA and Super7. The big difference is that those deals were for other companies to make higher-end adult collectibles, something that's outside Playmates' wheelhouse.

[@MindofMike35]

The collab the world didn't know it needed... Pixel Dan and Andre!!!

[@ObsessiveGeek]

And not even the first time it’s happened either

[@WiGgYof09]

I'm sure playmates will make fine kids toys. However, I have yet to see Playmates do anything decent that is considered an "adult collectible."

[@ajax201000]

Do we really need any more power rangers figures? How any versions of the core team are out there.

[@BriarShinn]

Their Last Ronin was pretty good but it was more of a novelty piece than anything else

[@ManOfBullshit]

That’s fine, let them target kids. There’s already way too many companies and lines targeting adults for you to complain about Playmates still being a company targeting children.

[@WiGgYof09]

@alxrulezable I didn't complain that they were targeting kids. However, I am not a kid so I don't care what they make for them. I am upset that the lighting collection line seems to be officially over and I doubt playmates will continue it. The LC was a budget adult collectible line. It did what I always wanted from a PR line and never got. It was the first PR line I collected since I was a kid and did a great mix of villains and rangers. I doubt Playmates will continue this line or something similar.

[@seanstoyroom7274]

What about the Star Trek Figures in the 90s?

[@ragemalachi]

The thing is the current CEO doesn't have the same vision as the late Mr goldner. He wants the company to be a gaming company that just happens to make toys. Of course, this also makes me think of when hasbro let Kenner do transformers. Maybe Hasbro is looking to own playmates

[@wolfman210]

No, he and Hasbro executives want the company to return to focusing on fewer core brands like before Goldner's failed attempt to turn them into a media empire like Disney. In the 90s their big brands were Batman, Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Transformers and since the mid-late 2000s it's been Marvel, Star Wars and Transformers with the occasional stab at trying to revive GI Joe.

[@adenvue4310]

I want a new toyetic power blaster. Give us the weapons, Playmates! I don't care if it's made for kids, I'll buy a new power blaster. At least it'll be complete (glares at Hasbro).

[@Kooster69]

Hopefully Playmates can make Power Rangers toys that's as good as the Imaginext Dragonzord.

[@jeremyburdge8573]

One thing Hasbro didn't give us was the MMPR in street gear so i am hoping to see that in the Playmates line. Also why has there not been any new VR Troopers? Hasbro could have worked them in and would have been cool to see new figures becuse we have not had any since the Kenner line back in the days. As a fan of MMPR i pick what i like so having Playmates taking the brand all i can do is wait and see what they make.

[@Kregermeister]

Hasbro should continue roleplay, IE : Helmets. Playmates as cheap as they are make quality when they try. We could finally see paint constancy with teams finally. Bandai and Hasbro both don’t understand paint matching. HOWEVER… With so many failed Ranger lines, it’s going to take some goodwill to get collectors to jump in again. I can only see this working as boxed teams. No one in their right mind is gunna wait 2 years to finish a team again and risk it not being complete.

[@PerevodchikSimba]

I'm collecting only the characters I like and don't care about completing teams.

[@nocturnalnathan]

I'm just bummed that this means that we're going to get another flood of MMPR figures. I get that the OG season of Power Rangers is the brand's bread and butter, but my favorite thing about the Lightning Collection was that it covered many different seasons. I'm just afraid we're not going to get anything new for my personal favorite PR teams...

[@wolfman210]

MMPR is the only thing that sells which is why the ip is worthless to Hasbro.

[@SquatchyToyDad]

I think we will see more of this type of thing with Hasbro with other toy lines

[@wolfman210]

There already doing it with Transformers. Other companies are making the toys Hasbro doesn't want to like McFarlane,ThreeZero,Yolo Park and Flame Toys.

[@LosMSR]

That's the scary part that even the core Marvel Legends, GIJOE, and Star Wars get the same switch.

[@Sniper_Jacob06]

More Power Rangers & Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Crossovers, Anyone?

[@pmgerard]

I think people keep ignoring the part of the Toybook announcement where it said Hasbro is going to be doing new DTC Power Rangers releases on Pulse. We went into this whole thing with all Power Rangers product from Hasbro and at retail being on indefinite hiatus. By the end of the announcement, we essentially get confirmation that Lightning Collection is BACK as Pulse Exclusive and Playmates is doing kids toys at retail. Honestly, Dan, a lot of takes including yours (you know better) acts like Hasbro decides what toys to take a risk on and then sells those to Walmart. When, more than likely, the hiatus happened because Hasbro got calls from Walmart and Target saying Power Rangers was off their planograms in 2024, forcing Hasbro to end the line and probably before the layoffs. So Hasbro then started working at a revival. They probably came up with a Lightning Collection relaunch or some new releases -- no takers -- so Pulse will be stocking that and worked with Walmart and Playmates to see if Playmates' plan was something Walmart might stock. Or Playmates agreed to a license without knowing if it could be stocked or perhaps reallocating existing planogram space. But Hasbro doesn't usually cancel lines without a refresh planned; Walmart does. And Hasbro is making collector PR product according to the article.

[@jonmarquez9925]

Considering Playmates doesn't have its own IP, TMNT is owned by Nick, it makes sense that Hasbro or other Toy Manufactures will look to them to be a production house.

[@Jcc2224]

And suddenly... hundreds of incomplete Lightning Collection ranger teams appeared on eBay...

[@yauyuso]

The way I see it. It seems like Playmates pretty much got the master license for the Power Rangers brand. Pixel Dan, you got it right, it's like Mattel licensing He-man license when they kinda dried up the Matty line. Only when Super7 shows that the brand is profitable again that Mattel took it back to do their own Origins line and later Masterverse. Hasbro's statement with the entertainment and such means they hold the rights for the publishing and TV shows, movies etc. But, what interest me the most with this announcement is if there are any clauses with the contract. Meaning, with Playmates taking over Power Rangers toys. Does Hasbro guarantee they will make a new Power Rangers show or movie every year for Playmates to generate new products? Currently Power Rangers as a brand is not doing well. Not new show after the latest Comic Fury season. The Once and Always Netflix special for the most part was a let down. The Power Rangers Lightning Collection line may be more of a convention exclusive thing for a while from the sound of it. The Lightning Collection line didn't do well not because of it focus on Mighty Morphin season, that's not the case. It's the opposite. THe line started out okay with a variety of characters from different seasons but slowly it showed that the customers do favor upon the MMPR seasons. Ultimately the line didn't do well because, frankly, lack of fan support. Doesn't matter, sales was just not there. You see so much on clearance. 2nd market also reflects that there's not much of a market.

[@Cheeseyu3000]

My theory is that hasbro or playmates just doesnt want to licensed any super sentai designs from Toei and just want to keep the Zyuranger designs, which use as the basis for Mighty Morphin. Since they try to cut cost, it make sense that they would do this

[@JAbell1966]

Not being a Power Ranger collector I found the closed boxes that were out over the last year or so really confused the kid and collector offerings on the pegs. Neither line ever seemed to be stocked right.

[@zillauniverse7208]

Kinda mixed on this, on the one hand Hasbro didn’t really do a good job with the Power Rangers licenses as the toys were pretty cheaply made and very pricey so I could see Playmates doing a good job at making kids toys that are fairly price but not good toys aim towards collectors.

[@lordtao5617]

at the bottom of the license agreement they mentioned 30 years and 900 episodes, so hopefully Playmates explores later series and not just MMPR. OK licence for the kids to playmates, licence to the collectors to someone else.

[@ImpulseKidEntertainment]

As someone who was invested in the Lightning Collection (albeit to a point. I did get tired of the line riding the Mighty Morphin' era as hard as it did), this news saddens me. Nothing I've seen from Playmates Toys in recent years gives me any hope. I'm gonna finish completing the Lightning Collection teams I started (At this point, the SPD B-Squad Rangers and the Galaxy Rangers), and maybe pick up the Alien Ranger boxset if I can swing it, and then bow out.

[@mattimusprimal637]

First off- Playmates is only doing Mighty Morphin (as a kids oriented toyline). Secondly- Hasbro said nothing about Zords or Megazords, etc. So, I think Lightning and ZAP are still being made by them.

[@CattyMintgum]

cant wait for endless red ranger repaints and new 1 monster every 4 waves not in scale at all

[@DragmaKerp]

If Playmates makes a decent Megazord, decently priced and articulated, they distribute it EVERYWHERE, unlike the "current" one, it would make me happy. And no, I don't mean the ZAP one, that costs almosts 200S when it should cost 100 at most... but the "cheap" for kids one, that should cost like 60 at much, costs 117€ on my country on the only retailer that has it... wich is Amazon...

[@darksilva1026]

As a TMNT and PR collector I'm looking forward to it. I think Playmates will do a great job with the action figures. I was worried about the Zords but after getting my hands on the re-release of the Voltron and how good it felt in hand I think they'll do just fine. They'll probably do a better job than Hasbro. They're Zords were trash and I ended up selling them off. I hope the Megazord scales with the Giant Retro turtles so I can make the Megazord fight the Giant Retro turtles again like I did as a kid lol.

[@christopherrichmond9143]

I just want a company to make an Ivan Ooze that scales closely enough that I can put it with my Lightning collection figures

[@josephjones7828]

Unfortunately Ivan Ooze has legal red tape involved when it comes to merchandising. Any characters exclusive to the 95 MMPR Movie were owned by 20th Century Fox, and are now owned by Disney.

[@TheSeaBase]

I thought Hasbro was going to crossover PR with Transformers. Seems like a no brainer. Idk if this means playmates will also be allergic to crossovers.

[@phoenixliger948]

Maybe Hasbro will do Voltron lightning collection figures

[@RaymondNolasco]

Also note: playmates has both Godzilla and MMPR licenses, That has an awesome crossover now

[@hexennacht.]

Can't believe Hasbro retooled the MMPR team so they all got 4+ releases but they never completed some teams, didn't complete Rita's henchmen, WHERE ARE SQUAT AND BABOO?

[@MarkCerbo]

In the first place, Hasbro should have not bought the Power Rangers IP from Saban. Because the succeeding Sentai series won’t be adapted for the US market and it’s owned by Bandai. Hasbro is also losing money from last year for the reason why they are now licensing it to another toy company. The same way they did with the Tonka brand. Nobody’s talking about that part.

[@QuilLocke]

I'm still waiting for those Time Force, Dino Thunder & RPM figures, Hasbro.

[@peppermintspacecapsule9898]

I think I heard somewhere that Hasbro are subbing GI Joe to Super7, too... I think!

[@RirseDeBlood]

Think that was only 3 3/4 figures. Classified remains as is.

[@peppermintspacecapsule9898]

@@RirseDeBlood - Ahhh, okay. Cool, thanks! 👍

[@ManOfBullshit]

Yes, Hasbro gave the license to Super7 to do their own GI Joe figures using the O-Ring style body. Super7 initially wanted to do it when they got the GI Joe license but Hasbro said no cause they were doing the Retro O-Ring figures they gave up on besides the transformers crossover stuff.

[@tclark6989]

With Super 7 doing Power Rangers Ultimates, it makes sense to end the Lightning Collection and focus on the kids market. Playmates will do vehicles and playsets, which is pretty exciting.

[@charlesrubitschung7592]

Sounds like a business partnership between Hasbro, and Playmates Toys which isn't bad

[@RayneGallows]

If Hasbro teaming up with Playmates somehow enables them to release more Lightning Collection Foot Soldiers- I would army build the heck out of them. I would love for this to mean Playmates lets Hasbro handle TMNT collector figures. While I like NECA's stuff, it's out of scale with the majority of my collection.

[@theartisanrogue]

Nothing surprises me in the toy industry these days. I’m expecting this to end with mergers resulting in HasTelMates selling all toys as NFTs through Fingerhut catalogs, and a standardized fan friendly weekly online sales point for exclusives for physical toys, only available through Hy-Vee Grocery stores.

[@bgiles73]

I was hoping that this would have somehow helped stimulate Playmates Star Trek line, but I don’t think it will have an effect either way. 😢

[@ManFigurez]

I am the fans of Power Rangers and Super Sentai (Power Rangers counterpart) so i think this is a good news for me ! 😎

[@ljkelty1766]

I think Mattel would have done a better job. The problem with Power Rangers is that the core collector audience is MMPR/ZEO/Turbo/In Space and majority of rangers look very similar while sitting on store shelves. 80% of a line of MMPR figures are monsters requiring unique sculpts, etc.

[@aaronstanley4641]

Playmates toys making power rangers this is so cool I hope they do mmpr,zeo,ninja storm,dino thunder and cosmic fury.

[@hammertronactionfigures2426]

I liked how the Power Rangers Lightning Collection figures looked. Hasbro's poor quality became a huge problem, but the looks were ok. I'm pretty sure I won't be interested in the looks and designs that Playmates does. We'll see if Playmates can make enough kids happy to be able to make a profit.

[@CrazedAnkylosaurus]

After the Mega Man Robot Masters, #2 on the wishlist is having a thorough collection of the Power Ranger/ Sentai Villains (just the Generals/Big Bads to keep it limited). I just don't know if Playmates could do all the wild designs justice though. I'm not expecting much especially after the immense disappointment that was the Lightning Collection.

[@kerry1979]

I think power rangers mainly had their time and fame. Look what happened disney did not want it even.they wanted to stop at jungle fury. No wonder john warden went back to transformers. He probably knew this was hsppenening and he did not last long on the power rangers team. Now habro did not say lighting collection is officially dead right? This is what r toy companies should do. Oh dan dont forget too lego and hasbro worked together too for first time for the lego optimus prime that was new.

[@AbsoVibes]

Another thing to think about is the fact that we don't know where Power Rangers is headed as a series. They're moving away from their super sentai roots and focusing on creating their own teams/suits/stories from scratch. The future has probably been unclear behind the scenes for a while. Hasbro did mention that the Power Rangers line was one of the drivers for their financial earning before the hiatus, so it's not like it's a financial pit. I think they tried to put out too many figures and that lead to a drop in performance towards the hiatus of the line. Something that's reflected across the industry as whole, but still a problem that they didn't try to stay ahead of. Retailers ended up sitting on way more stock than they could chew through so things started going on clearance or to discount stores quickly. Their "wave" strategy burned a lot of collectors that were waiting to complete ranger teams as well. Now they have to focus on how they'll stay on top of actually making/keeping the show and brand relevant for both old and new fans. Movies, shows, comics, etc. There's more to gain, but also so much more to lose if they don't do it right.

[@kerry1979]

@@AbsoVibes What they should have done first, Is start with originals. Put one team out the full set. I mean we did not need SPD shadow ranger right away. Could Been Lord Zedd, White ranger & 2 other MMPR. Wave 2 finish off that set. least they did characters. Like Scorpina & Astronema who never got figures. But yes Who knows where power rangers is heading. It has been in so many hands. I don't think Kids today would be interested . As they were back then. Remember 90's was completely different to now. But I think that what Hasbro should have done. Started MMPR. first. got that done first in 2 waves. Then Moved on to Zeo & so on. What they should do is finish Time force & Wild force. Or at least keep something for collectors. There was no major announcement saying Lighting was dead.. But hasbro did something no other did. They brought Back Goldar, Rita & lord Zedd.

[@TheKennyEstes]

The thing with Hasbro and the Zords is they never complete a lineup. With Beast Morphers, they didn't do one Zord (though they did a nontransforming version). With Dino Fury, they didn't do a couple of the Zords. And with Cosmic Fury, they only did five Zords, and in that case they didn't do any Rangers figures. So I'm hopeful for what Playmates Toys might do.

[@ManOfBullshit]

Seeing what Playmates did with the Voltron mech, looks like fans and kids will be in good hands.

[@SrsLe33]

Playmates doing all the work and hasbro gets a royalty, smart.

[@wolfman210]

Looks more to me like Hasbro is offloading its less popular licenses and returning to the way it operated prior to the mid 2010s when Brian Goldner tried and failed to turn them into a media powerhouse like Disney. Stuff like Lightning Collection * Power Rangers * and Golden Archive* Dungeon and Dragons * were very much the result of Brian Goldner's desire to expand ips and turn Hasbro into a media powerhouse like Disney. I assume Plasma series * Ghostbusters * and Adventure series *Indiana Jones * were done because of the success of Star Wars Black but were found wanting. Which to my understanding most executives at Hasbro were always wary of Goldner's expansion plans and Chris Cocks is simply returning Hasbro to the way it used to be: focused on a few core profitable brands*. And the weakened economy and underperformance of those four toy lines gave Cocks' the incentive he needs to contract Hasbro's output. *In the 90s their big brands were Batman, Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Transformers and since the 2000s it's been Marvel, Star Wars and Transformers with the occasional stab at trying to revive GI Joe.

[@makumusik]

I just hope they don't reuse the same freaking mold from the classic line they use with karate kid, street fighter, etc once again

[@emerje0]

First thing I thought of was those really cool Voltron figures they did that I love so I'd like to see that replicated with Zords. Second thing I thought of was the Godzilla and TMNT crossovers in the comics which were a lot of fun. Only problem is Playmate's crossover TMNT figures have been pretty awful picking some odd Turtle choices. Hopefully if they PR crossovers they don't just toss in random Turtles like they have been.

[@AbsoVibes]

As a collector, I just want them to finish the lightning collection weapons and helmets. I wasn't super interested in picking up a bunch of figures. I would like to see more ZAP like zords. Overall though, I don't have any problems with Playmates focusing on more kid friendly toy lines since that's how the brand will stay alive and keep going. I understand catering to the older audience that watched the shows growing up, but the new generation keeps the train going. Especially for their first release. As much as it sucks, Hasbro can shift their focus on utilizing their HasLab platform for the collectors edition stuff. They'll waste less money and won't overproduce stuff that most will wait to get on clearance. Of course that means a lack backers results in the collectible not being made, but I think that's better than them overproducing items that don't sell as quickly or as much as they want and scaling back on making collectibles for the line in general. They would probably be more likely to do full sets for HasLab, rather than incomplete waves as well.

[@xssmontgox]

They licensed GI Joe and Transformers to McFarlane Toys, so it’s not a surprise exactly

[@capatialvinjohn2753]

Hasbro wants to be an IP Hub rather than a Toy Company......

[@Arufonsa1]

But they still make the majority of toys? What…. What is this take?

[@sirdaveysockrocker]

@@Arufonsa1if the profit margins ever drop too low on GI Joe or Transformers, they’ll license those out too. It’s all about which makes them more money, making the toys themselves, which means they take on production cost but get all the profit, OR, licensing them for someone else to make which means a licensing fee and the licensee takes on production costs, but they only get a small percentage of sales. The math never lies 📊

[@Rocket1377]

They are simply outsourcing some of their lower priority toy lines. Playmates are handling the more simplistic toys (less articulation and paint ops), which are aimed at children. That frees up Hasbro's facilities and resources for their collector lines, which will still include Power Rangers product that's aimed at longtime fans.

[@Arufonsa1]

@@sirdaveysockrocker Right? Sorry this take still doesn’t make sense. Especially with that not being the current case. You are just describing companies in general. Ideally I’m sure they would prefer them all in house and profitable. By your description it seems you believe their ideal situation is outsourcing to their competitors. Which again would happen for any franchise as they are not sacred. I just don’t think that’s the mission statement.

[@wolfman210]

That was Goldner's idea, Cocks wants to return Hasbro to what it was before Goldner's failed expansion by focusing on fewer priority core brands. In action figure terms this means Transformers, Marvel, Star Wars and for now GI Joe Classified.

[@tmntman3086]

Why do I not see more TMNTxPower Ranger cross over figures yet? The Lightning collection were fine. I want the whole collection... and Zords.

[@wolfman210]

Yup pretty much been confirmed now this was Goldner going rogue. PR was bought without Hasbro's approval and everything since then has been Hasbro's bean counters trying to get some value out of it. The reboot was canceled because Netflix wanted to do a grim and gritty reboot in the vein of the 2017 movie which would lead to a new cinematic universe * tv/film is still chasing that dead horse after it nearly killed Hollywood apparently *. Hasbro * wisely imo * thought this was a terrible idea and an expensive disaster waiting to happen in light of that movie's failure and wanted to do a MMPR reboot instead, and Netflix said no killing the project. Now the word is that Hasbro is looking to sell the entire brand and offload it onto the next sucker by next year. And ofcourse PR fans are coping saying the reboot wouldn't have been a complete disaster and are in denial that the franchise is a trojan horse that burns everyone that tries to do anything but the bare minimum with it saying that it only needs someone "who cares" and will "take it seriously" despite the fact that even both the largest American media and toy companies respectively couldn't make it work.

[@thenate5367]

I feel like Viacom is next

[@handythesock2505]

and they arent freely giving it away playmates had to put in a big bid

[@OzzieAstaroth]

I loved the Lightning Collection line, but Hasbro did have some QC issues with it from time to time. I'm still hoping they at least continue that and make more of the teams we have yet to get. When it comes to the basic figures, I feel like they did a great job. I only ever bought one or two Zords, but they had decent articulation and action features, so I had no complaints. They were better than the blocky, almost static Zord figures we got from Bandai. I feel like Playmates can do a decent job with a kid focused toy line, but I hope the detail and articulation is there with it. I also hope that either they or Hasbro make some Cosmic Fury ranger figures because we never got those.

[@kapiteinfox3142]

2 Things: 1) The big ???? here is where that leaves the "entertainment" aspect of the franchise. Without a cartoon or something to sell MMPR to kids, this feels like a weird venture that may not pay off for Playmates. They've been crushing it with TMNT recently, but there's also supporting media across movies, games, and TV that animate the whole IP. A shelf of the toys alone, I don't think would cut it. 2) During the earnings call today, Hasbro made reference to Power Rangers not being able to hit their internal thoughts on what a good ROI % for a line would be, and thus why (like Littlest Petshop before it) they decided to outsource. Giving the rights to a company that "could make a good little business out of it, even if they don't hit 50M in sales". A lot of language to me that screamed "red flags", as its basically Hasbro admitting "We're too top heavy to function unless our brands are able to be squeezed for almost unsustainable profit margins", and that smaller toy companies can probably do heathier, if leaner, business (and lets be honest, maybe with better end product) than a behemoth like them can. They are claiming "Power Rangers is probably the last IP we will outsource". But if I were say, on the currently very successful GI Joe team, I'd be sweating a little bit as O-Ring figures are outsourced to Super7, and Classified reaches the bottom of the barrel of recognizable characters. I don't think anything is off the table, regardless of what the CEO said today.

[@wolfman210]

It's only "red flags" because the previous CEO went on a spending spree and bought up ips and a production studio because he wanted to turn Hasbro into a media empire like Disney. Something the executive board was never fully behind in the first place. The current CEO is simply course correcting.

[@bookat69]

I almost hope Hasbro does the Lightning Collection the way Mattel has done with Origins. Sell the LC stuff through Pulse...I really want to finish up all the different teams.

[@kennedysamarakody4925]

Its kinda funny you brought up Godzilla....currently, in the comics, we have the a sequel Godzilla vs MMPR....and coming up, the rangers gonna become "kaiju" rangers.

[@hababadegada7531]

First, I'd like to say that Power Rangers is one of my favourite brands of all time, but I wouldn't consider myself a "Power Rangers" Collector. I'm not that deep into collecting and have my own niche collections that don't even span 1/3 of a toy line. I've gotten the Lightning Collection to the extent of finishing the In Space team (plus the ZAP Astro Megazord) and all of the Red Rangers from Forever Red that they released. I haven't really collected any of the kid-oriented toys, but I have felt that there's been a pretty abhorent lack of Power Rangers in stores that are targeted towards kids, especially here in the UK. I haven't seen a single toy for Cosmic Fury over here! First and foremost, I believe that Power Rangers is for kids, not because I think teens and adults shouldn't watch or collect it (that would make me a pretty big hypocrite), but because it's the action, weapons and robots that make it what it is: stuff that make good toys. Not seeing anything major for Dino/Cosmic Fury was actually kind of sad. Even for the seasons I didn't watch I was aware of the toy presence around me especially Dino Charge when my cousins were at the age to start getting into the show; felt like it was everywhere at that time. The TMNT toys always gave me hope that, someday, Power Rangers would jump into stores again and have a range like that. I don't know the first thing about the industry, but this news sounds good to me. I personally would love for the Lightning Collection to continue, even if in a smaller capacity, but I'd be happy letting it go if it means that kids (or anyone really) have a chance at getting some kickass toys to play with. Love your work, Dan! Keep it up 😊

[@AlphaProto]

I just hope they keep going with the Lightning Collection. There are so many 1/12th characters I want in my collection. They never got to make civilian rangers, or Bulk and Skull.

[@dobermann2639]

Playmates toys... They are currently messing up the paint on TNMT retro reissues and they're gonna make MMPR figures... for kids? Do kids really care or even know what MMPR is? I think it's time for Hasbro to understand that MMPR is for adult collectors...

[@RXNRMDN]

I grew up with MMPR, so I just got the original team (and all the different Tommys up to Dino Thunder, as he was my favorite Ranger). And that was the end of my Power Rangers Lightning Collection collecting. I did notice that the original team figures did sell out, while later team figures ended up on clearance. Only when they rereleased the remastered MMPR figures did those end up on clearance, probably as everyone who wanted them already had them. I know a lot of the later teams haven’t even been completed, as it probably didn’t make sense financially for Hasbro to release figures they knew would end up on clearance. Something so team dependent like PR should have probably been sold as complete box sets like they did with the Alien Rangers. But then that would be an immediate $100+ cost compared to $25 every couple months to build a team. Maybe PR just isn’t an evergreen brand, and should take a break and turn out up for big milestone anniversaries.

[@emmanuelsebi6964]

You know you should watch dino thunder just for tommy because they do a pretty great job with his character there

[@RXNRMDN]

@@emmanuelsebi6964 i was 18 when Dino Thunder came out, and just hearing that Tommy was back got me to watch power rangers weekly after i stopped watching during In Space. RIP JDF

[@AlphamagnusCreations]

A. Hasbro dropped the ball with lightning collection. From the start we just want waves of teams. Mix in variants etc later to finish off larger teams B. The zords they did release were awful , too huge, did not match scale with any monsters they released C. Playmates is fine for kids toys. At least once a month I hear a kid at a store ask “where are the power rangers?” So they need representation D. Hasbro dropped the ball on role play as well, they own NERF and did not release a single nerf weapon , I would have bought every mmpr weapon, and at least one of every other series (most were just a team with the same color blaster or sword) D. Godzilla and power rangers are crossing over RIGHT NOW in the comics and have lead to the Kaiju rangers and I swear if we don’t get figures of that, someone dropped a MAJOR ball E. Turtle MegaZord plz.

[@wolfman210]

They did that because everyone complained about Bandai doing full team waves for MMPR with Legacy Collection. Very few people did raise concerns that it would lead to teams not being finished but were ignored. Lo and behold here we are.

[@seancolleran5843]

I’m hoping that Playmates handles the kid oriented stuff and Hasbro continues to do the collectors stuff

[@trevorcampbell6326]

Playmates did great with Voltron so why not??

[@inaheap7172]

Honestly, I have Mezco's MMPR coming. Not sure I would need any other figures. Kids toys might be a good direction for the next year or two. Playmates might do alright with Power Rangers collectibles. They don't have to do real faces, and Power Ranger outfits don't have lots of tiny paint details. Like you said they made killer Voltron so they can totally do Megazord.

[@cena0224]

This sucks for me bc as someone who grew up after MMPR’s run, I really really wanted ninja storm. We got zero figures from ninja storm and that might be due to the fact they were made right before hasbro got the license but man such a bummer we never got the 6

[@rosetyler4801]

So is there any chance Playmates will continue the Lightning Collection line? I really, really want a Ninjor and Rito in that line.

[@talonnon_2059]

It makes sense that the first team that Playmates would focus on would be Mighty Morphin. At least at first. Maybe just one or two or even three waves to complete the team and some villains. Then possibly move on to other teams. Maybe even doing Hyper Force eventually? I bet Andre would love that. 😉

[@NautoAis]

Had a feeling Hasbro was going to do some strategic changes, seeing Hasbro PR toys always end up at Ross/TJ Maxx, or goes on clearance. When the Cosmic Megazord was an exclusive to Amazon, the signs were there.

[@colt5189]

They need to give the license back to Bandai.

[@user-kg9ck8gf7n]

Does this mean will get another set of TMNY/MMPR? And Maybe the Kaiju MMPR from Godzilla/MMPR 2? And will they have more playability than Hasbro after its in their name, and hopefully they won't be expensive.

[@StarTrekDoor]

For while I wondered what a megazord and Optimus Prime would look like if they combined with one another.

[@ohmethiasknight5009]

Hasbro has been on a fiery downward spiral for years now, nothing surprises me any more.

[@togoboldly]

This does not shock me in the slightest when you look at how much trouble Hasbro are having, they’ve clearly been focused more on their media arm, making huge cuts in their toy arm. I think Hasbro will continue to licence their own IPs as any media corporation would do. I wouldn’t be shocked to see more licences owned by Hasbro to be treated as any studio would treat a property in licensing. It makes a lot of sense for Playmates, with the success they’ve had with TMNT, to take on Power Rangers, and if their Voltron is any indication of how they’d approach a Megazord… I think fans have a lot to get excited about. As for it being MMPR… it’s the most iconic version of Power Rangers, makes total sense. I would say as long as the line is successful, we will see toys from the different versions of the show. However, I’m so annoyed at Playmates for screwing up their Star Trek toy line… where’s the love for Star Trek?

[@wolfman210]

That's what happens when you massively overextend to feed a bubble economy. Historically Hasbro's only had 3 or 4 big toylines at a time. The last decade's been an anomaly.

[@bossbradley]

I'm so happy for this video because I was Andre's first and knew what was coming 😂😂😂

[@TheJorssk]

Hasbro and Playmates recent years had some financial loses. So Hasbro looking for how to cut some loses and this is the way for them. Also Playmates have same problem, so they share TMNT licence with Mattel and also starting new one (Power Ranger) with vision of potencial profit.

[@tompollockjr144]

Andre and Pixel Dan... This is the only crossover I care about.

[@nerdcraftercoley7305]

I hope that Hasbro gives the license of Star Wars to someone else that would be kind of cool

[@rollingwithstones]

It's ironic that Bandai gave up the Power Rangers after the 25th anniversary of the show, only for Hasbro to do the same thing right after the 30th anniversary. I'm very leary about this decision only because Playmates doesn't really do realistic style action figures. The "kid targeted" plan worries me.

[@MatticusPrime1]

I’m a Power Rangers fan and Lightning Collection collector. I don’t see this as a good change for collectors. The Lightning Collection is far from finished and I’m fearful that it’s done.

[@barmutah]

Even if it's a mmpr i hope they make season 2 and 3 because good god we have enough of dino megazord It's sad for me because in my country we don't have playmates official store here, it'll be hard to get playmates toys, we have hasbro, mattel even bandai official store here in my country but playmates we don't have any

[@strikerevimus]

Hasbro pretty much ran the brand into the ground, so the pessimist in me is thinking that they're doing what Sony did with the Spider-Man movies, and letting someone else try to reinvigorate the brand before ultimately taking it back to do again. Though I've also heard that Hasbro now wants out of the toy business entirely, and with another proof of that, McFarlane has a license from Hasbro to do some things too. I forgot what, but it's looking like what I heard is bearing out. We'll have to see what they do for collectors, but I'm honestly kind of worried here... (That, and they got royally wrecked with what happened with the Star Wars lines not doing so hot and having so much product warming the shelves. Everyone who has a Star Wars License is hurting like crazy right now. I won't get into the deeper stuff, but I can say that the Star Wars situation definitely played a part in their decision.)

[@MnemonicSyntax]

Not the movie. Fox owns the rights to that. Not Hasbro. I feel if Hasbro was smart, they'd continue the Lightning Collection but do complete teams, and have them set up as "mini-Haslabs." If they don't pass, they don't get made. No leftover inventory.

[@ArchangelKalEl7828]

I believe Playmates will Continue to make Power Rangers Toys available for Kids & Adults in the Future. And I'm pretty sure, they'll do an Excellent Job and Succeed as well. 🤩😃😁👍👍

[@CharlemagneSupernova]

my guess is Hasbro plans to reboot Power Rangers entirely by producing a new show thats independent of Super Sentai featuring the original Mighty Morphing team

[@jamesdanielski7347]

To quote the late great Richard Lewis: "What, are you crazy?! This is terrible news!"

[@LosMSR]

I don't get this, Playmates Power Rangers, and now Mondo is gonna do Ghostbusters, seems like Hasbro is gonna get rid of making figures, that will be insane. The big question is, are they gonna do the same with Marvel Legends, GIJOE, and Star Wars?

[@krisg.5688]

Hasbro did give the O-Ring GI Joe license to Super 7. I do think Hasbro is pulling back a little bit. I mean they don't eat any production costs with licensing out Power Rangers. However, they do get their portion of the profits do well.

[@jrich6660]

Bandai didn't finish the Legacy Collection and now Hasbro might be done with the Lightning Collections. If Playmates Toys handles the collectors line, then I can see most hardcore Power Ranger fans giving up altogether because they're not going to have confidence in the line lasting more than 5 years.