These Are the Names to 2017’s ‘Power Rangers Ninja Steel’

Just because Lionsgate will release a full-length Power Rangers movie next year doesn’t mean there still can’t be a television series either. As the show enters heaven knows what season, production of Saban’s Power Rangers on Nickelodeon will adapt Toei’s Shuriken Sentai Ninninger, part of the long-running Super Sentai franchise in Japan, as 2017’s Power Rangers Ninja Steel. Casting sides posted on RangerCrew reveal the new names for the characters, and they are as generic as you could imagine.

Here they are, the Ninja Steel Rangers: Brad, Glen, Sophie, Harriet, Vince, and Morty. Not confirmed yet are the character’s Ranger colors — Morty sounds like a jokester/side character than perhaps a bearer of the Gold Ranger mantle — but RangerCrew is stating Brad will be the Red Ranger. There is also an Uncle Zane, who seems to be related by blood to Brad and will function as a mentor to the Rangers.

Generally casting sides provide character details, but only Vince has anything distinct written in the sides. It reads, verbatim: “Jock attire. Besides attire, Vince has a HIGH LEVEL of arrogance and conceitedness. Look at the Zap Brannigan and J. Peterson as great examples.”

Futurama fans will recognize the Zap Brannigan reference, but does anyone know who “J. Peterson” is supposed to be? Google is only bringing up is the linguist on Game of Thrones. I’m pretty sure he’s not an arrogant guy, even though he did basically invent Dothraki. Like Morty, he could end up being a joke side character than a Ranger, but he could also be a suitable Blue Ranger as well. (To anyone who saw Ninninger, the only other male Ranger is Yellow and his character was kind of a goof, of the clumsy variety. That’s not an attribute you’d give to a jock.)

Anyway, those are the new Power Rangers! They’re not any more distinct than Jason, Zack, and Kimberly, and there have been weird-ass names in Power Rangers history. At least there won’t be a Tyzonn, or an Udonna, or even a Ziggy for awhile.