Believe it or not, Friday’s new Power Rangers reboot will feature the first-ever on-screen gay superhero.
The film’s yellow ranger, Trini (played by YouTube star Becky G), apparently makes it explicit in one scene that she is in fact not having “boyfriend problems,” but “girlfriend problems.” Director Dean Israelite describes this scene as “pivotal” to the entire story. He further explained:
For Trini, really she’s questioning a lot about who she is. She hasn’t fully figured it out yet. 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.
The newest yellow ranger certainly isn’t the first queer superhero, as the likes of Iceman, Batwoman, The Midnighter, Catwoman and Wonder Woman have all been identified as LGBTQ in some way before. Still, there hasn’t been a single one of these characters featured in such a way in a Hollywood film until now.
Recently, last week’s Beauty and the Beast made its own headlines, as the adaptation caused an uproar with some conservatives over the film’s inclusion of a gay supporting character.
If you’ve somehow missed the most recent trailer for the reboot, check that out below. The film opens this Friday, March 24.
