Could Lord Zedd's Role in The Power Rangers Sequel Be Integral to The Rise Of The Evil Green Ranger?

While it appeared as if a sequel to the latest reboot of Power Rangers wouldn't happen, there's good news on that end. According to Dean Israelite, the director of Power Rangers, a sequel is still in the cards. During an interview with Screen Rant, Israelite provided the following answer to the question of whether or not a sequel will happen:

"I hope so. It's obviously not up to me, but I know the studio [Lionsgate] and Saban are talking in earnest about it, and are trying to push forward. They're having a discussion."

Israelite's comments noted, it's looking good for fans of the latest Power Rangers reboot. The sequel still isn't confirmed, but toy sales alone will probably lead to Saban and Lionsgate funding at least one more Power Rangers movie. The first movie's sales made up for the small impact the movie made at the box office, which means it'll probably be a relevant factor in the studio's decision to move forward or not. That said, Lionsgate may not want to invest in a six-picture deal like originally conceived, a sequel on the other hand, still seems likely.

Lord Zedd Could Be the Villain of the Next Power Rangers Movie?

Assuming a sequel does happen, that could also lead to a fan-favorite villain from the original "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" series appearing in the sequel. Dean Israelite also gave Screen Rant the scoop on his intent to include Lord Zedd in the sequel. Here's what Israelite had to say:

"You know, there was a lot of discussion at one point of Lord Zedd being in this movie. We didn’t have the real estate for it, and I didn’t want to dilute the storytelling, so Lord Zedd definitely has to make an appearance in the franchise, he’s a fan favorite.”

With that being known, Lord Zedd will probably be the big bad of the next Power Rangers movie. Unless, Israelite intends to stray from the source material and use a completely different villain, the logical replacement for Rita Repulsa is Lord Zedd.

Since Lord Zedd was immediately introduced after Rita Repulsa on "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers", his introduction seems appropriate after Rita was shot off into space in Power Rangers. Who knows, Zedd may even find a dying Rita out in space if he makes his way to Earth. Zedd did venture to Earth from a distant planet on "MMPR", so it's reasonable to assume he'll make his way to Earth in a similar fashion.

Will Lord Zedd Be Responsible For Creating The Green Ranger?

What's more interesting about Lord Zedd's potential introduction, is that he'll probably be calling the shots if an evil Green Ranger arc is expected to be a subplot in the sequel. The Green Ranger was also teased at the conclusion of the first movie, so further development of Tommy a.k.a. the Green Ranger's story will likely be part of the sequel. But since Rita isn't around anymore to kick off the Green Ranger arc, that role will probably be passed on to Lord Zedd.

For those who don't know, Rita Repulsa was responsible for creating the Green Ranger on "MMPR". She conceived the whole plot to eliminate the Rangers by using a Ranger of her own. But with Rita being shot off into space in the current cinematic films, she's not around to play the same role. So, Lord Zedd will likely be responsible for creating the evil Green Ranger. Unless, Rita makes her way back to Earth and joins up with Lord Zedd.

Zedd and Rita formed a strange alliance that saw them married on "MMPR", which means it reasonable for the two of them to have a similar relationship in the following Power Rangers movie. Then again, Lionsgate and Saban probably won't want to reuse Rita when they have Lord Zedd at the ready. Of course, we should be open to the possibility of Elizabeth Banks returning to play Rita Repulsa in the sequel.

Keep in mind that Lionsgate and Saban have yet to decide whether or not they're moving forward with a Power Rangers sequel. And with costs of developing the picture likely being a factor in the discussions at hand, hiring high-profile actors like Elizabeth Banks to return might not seem like an expense they can afford. In which case, Banks's character of Rita Repulsa wouldn't return, leaving a vacant slot for a villain. The logical replacement being Lord Zedd.

Who Should Play Lord Zedd In The Sequel?

Now that we've established Lord Zedd as a potential candidate for the villain of Power Rangers 2, our next question should be, which actor could play Zedd? Zedd's appearance would probably be enhanced heavily with makeup and special effects, but an actor capable of conveying the malevolence of Lord Zedd will still be needed. In regards to who that could be is debatable, but Mads Mikkelsen seems like a good choice.

Apart from how difficult it would be to recruit the highly sought after actor, Mikkelsen would make for an excellent Lord Zedd. He has experience playing twisted villains on the Hannibal series and in the Doctor Strange movie, so a part as Lord Zedd would be right up his alley. That said, the prospect of Mikkelsen signing on to play Zedd is still difficult to believe with Mikkelsen being in the position to choose exactly which projects he wants to participate in. He's an accomplished enough actor that if he doesn't want to do a movie or tv show, he can reject the offer without hesitaiton. However, we should keep our minds open to the possibility of Mikkelsen being recruited to play Lord Zedd