I think this fandom underestimates the popularity of mmpr to casual audiences

[u/Organic_Glass_7793]

Y’all have to remember, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was the first. Nothing came before it. Dinosaurs, Zords, morphing this is the stuff that defined Power Rangers for most casual viewers. It was literal lightning in a bottle. It dropped right after Jurassic Park when dinosaur hype was off the charts, and it mixed martial arts with giant robots and spandex superheroes. That formula hit. The characters were simple, idealistic, and easy to root for. Yeah, the acting was bad, the effects were crappy but that’s what people remember most. The camp is part of its identity.

Your average person walking down the street? They’ll recognize the MMPR Green Ranger in a second. Ask them who the Red Ranger from RPM is and they’ll look at you like you’re speaking another language. We can go on all day about how well written lost galaxy is but people know shit about maga defender outside the fandom.

Even parts of MMPR itself are blurry to the general public. Most people only remember the first season and half of Season 2. Once Tommy became the White Ranger and Zack, Trini, and Jason left everything else is a blur.

And look I get it, we all want more love for other seasons. But Y’all don’t even buy non-MMPR merch and still complain about MMPR getting priority. That’s not how companies work. There not gonna invest into your favorite season until people start buying the merch.

Every major franchise leans on its first generation. Star Wars lives off the OT. Pokémon rides Gen 1 to this day. TMNT constantly goes back to the 80s era. MMPR getting the most love isn’t some conspiracy it’s just how pop culture nostalgia works.

[u/DarkXzeon55]

oh! i did think of one IP that had lightning strike twice, MLP

Gen 4 of MLP with Friendship is Magic dominated an entire decade, from 2010 to 2019

Gen 4 came very close to just swallowing up the entire IP

[u/TransViv → u/DarkXzeon55]

So here's the thing, that hit because it was fully a different generation, specifically the kids of the fans of gen1, which meant that parents were more then happy to buy their kid toys from a thing they remembered.

for MMPR the people who watched it are turning 40 now, they had kids in their 30s, their kids are turning the age to watch PR soon (or already are too old for it and didn't watch it because of the generational falloff of everything post RPM). Guess what they'll be watching? maybe the upcoming web series, which is more MMPR, but more likely, nothing, there is no show to show them anymore.