Power Rangers: Amy Jo Johnson Addresses 30th Anniv Special Absence

It looks like the original Pink Ranger in Amy Jo Johnson won’t be participating in Netflix’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always, which marks the 30th anniversary of the American adaptation of the Japanese Super Sentai series franchise. Johnson played Kimberly Hart appearing in 138 of the 156 episodes along with several specials. The actress, director, and producer took to social media to offer her side of what went down while continuing to offer her support for the franchise. “For the record, I never said no…I just didn’t say yes to what was offered. But other fun stuff is in-store! Looking forward to watching my friends kick ass! ???? #PowerRangers30”

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always Details

MMPR: Once & Always will star original cast members Walter Jones (Zack Taylor) and David Yost (Billy Cranston), who were the original black and blue rangers, respectively. Joining them are Catherine Sutherland (Pink Ranger Kat Hillard), Steve Cardenas (Red Ranger Rocky DeSantos), Karan Ashley (Yellow Ranger Aisha Campbell), and Johnny Yong Bosch (Black Ranger Adam Park). Austin St. John played Jason Lee Scott, the original Red Ranger; the late Thuy Trang played Trini Kwan, the original Yellow Ranger; and the late Jason David Frank played Tommy Oliver, the original Green Ranger. There’s no word, according to Entertainment Weekly what other cast members will appear or if there will be a tribute to Frank.

There are several incarnations of the Power Rangers franchise, including a 2017 theatrical adaptation in which Johnson and Frank made cameos. The latest TV adaptation will be Cosmic Fury. Johnson, who also paid tribute to her former co-star, continued to thrive most on TV with memorable roles on The WB’s Felicity, Lifetime’s The Division, CBS’ Flashpoint, and USA Network’s Covert Affairs.  Her last acting project was in the 2019 limited series comedy The Has Been, which she also directed. She also directed the Superman & Lois season two episode “Tried and True” for the CW in March 2022.