Power Rangers touts film’s first LGBT superhero

Power Rangers director Dean Israelite explained in an interview with THR that Trini is “questioning a lot about who she is” and “hasn’t fully figured it out yet.” He added: “I think what’s great about that scene and what that scene propels for the rest of the movie is, ‘That’s OK.’ The movie is saying, ‘That’s OK,’ and all of the kids have to own who they are and find their tribe.”

This news comes on the heels of Beauty And The Beast, which before being released was touted as containing an “exclusively gay moment” involving the character LeFou. Alas, as The A.V. Club’s review explained, “his sexuality remains mostly theoretical, manifested most overtly in a two-second shot of him dancing with a man.” Similarly, Star Trek Beyond made only passing visual reference to Sulu’s husband. So while, in these cases, the filmmakers seem well-intentioned, they also seem to only nod to representation rather than wholeheartedly embracing it.

With LGBT superheroes, including some big name ones like Batwoman, far more prevalent in the pages of comic books than they are on the big screen, writers have been arguing for their inclusion for years now. Trini seems like a step in the right direction, but studios still have work to do.