Power Rangers Time Force star Michael Copon recently attended Rangerstop & Pop ATL 2022, where he lead a panel alongside costar Erin Cahill, The Pink Time Force Ranger.
Power Rangers Time Force was a 2001 TV series, and an adaptation of Mirai Sentai Timeranger. It was the final TV series from the original Saban era of Power Rangers, before Disney bought the rights to the franchise. The Disney era began with Power Rangers: Wild Force, which would feature an episode where Jen Scotts, The Pink Time Force Ranger would crossover with the new heroes.
The TV series followed the Time Force Rangers, a group of superheroes from the year 3000. Their greatest enemy is a mutant named Ransik, who escapes to the year 2001 with an army of mutants after defeating the Rangers and seemingly killing Alex, the Red Time Force Ranger. The rest of the team, led by Jen as the Pink Ranger, pursued Ransik to 2001, where they would be trapped and spend the majority of the series.
Erin Cahill played Jen, Jason Faunt played the Red Ranger, Kevin Kleinberg played the Green Time Force Ranger, Deborah Estelle played the Yellow Time Force Ranger, and Michael Copon played Lucas Kendall, the Blue Time Force Ranger.
But those heroes were not the only rangers to star in Power Rangers Time Force. Daniel Southworth portrayed Eric Myers, the Quantum Ranger. When asked about his experience working alongside Southworth, Michael Copon had this to say.
POWER RANGERS TIME FORCE: MICHAEL COPON ON THE QUANTUM RANGER
“I loved it. Yeah, we loved it. Any time a sixth Ranger comes in, there’s a unique change in the flow. He comes in, and he’s already playing a bad guy, and we’re like “who is this guy?”. We’re trying to figure out if he’s acting, or like really mad at us in real life, so it took us a little while *laughs* to get to “oh okay, we’re friends!”. Because we already had our own thing going on, like we’re already together, and he’s trying to find his place in that. So with any sixth Ranger, it becomes difficult for us all to go the same way.
But we love Daniel [Southworth], I still talk to him, like we’re at shows all the time together. He’s a crazy funny guy, has a crazy sense of humor, I just wish that, honestly I wish that I got to know him more. Sixth Rangers, they come in so halfway, and then I personally didn’t have any scenes with him. Or barely, very rarely did I have [scenes with the Quantum Ranger] it was mostly Jason, because he was the one that was with the Silver Guardians and stuff like that.
So Lucas didn’t really encounter the sixth Ranger. Our Power Ranger characters did, but us actors…I very rarely encountered him on set. So I didn’t really get to know him to be honest, I think I got to know him more because of conventions.” Michael Copon, Time Force Blue
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Though Lucas Kendall, the Blue Time Force Ranger may not have developed much of a rapport with the Quantum Ranger, it sounds like Michael Copon still has a deep appreciation for Daniel Southworth’s work on Time Force. The story of these beloved early-2000’s heroes has been continued through media such as the graphic novel, Power Rangers: Sins Of The Future. That one-shot primarily featured Wes Collins and Jen Scotts, The Red and Pink Rangers, leaving the stories of Lucas Kendall and Eric Myers still ripe for continuation.
Perhaps a sequel comic could finally unite these two in a meaningful way.
Of course, while many Power Rangers fans adore the expanded comic book universe, nothing would be more exciting than a live-action reunion. When asked what he would like to see in a theoretical Power Rangers: Time Force revival, Michael Copon shared this with the Rangerstop panel.
POWER RANGERS TIME FORCE: MICHAEL COPON ON WHAT HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN A REVIVAL
“I would like to see the ability of time travel used more! That in of itself is a really cool segway to creating episodes. You can actually go to any place, any time, and help anyone.” –Michael Copon, Time Force Blue
The concept of time-travel is a hot quantity in the entertainment industry right now, second only to perhaps the multiverse. It’s also been a focal point of several recent Power Ranger’s stories, such as Shattered Grid. Time travel really does open up an unlimited number of possibilities for creative, one-of-a-kind storytelling, and what better show to reinvent the chronological wheel than Power Rangers: Time Force!
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One of the most beloved episodes of Time Force has to be “Movie Madness”, a two-part epic that played on classic Hollywood tropes and genres. The creativity of that show made it into one of Erin Cahill’s favorite experiences in her career, and one of the most rewatchable episodes of the entire series. But for Michael Copon, the filming of “Movie Madness” may be a bit blurry upon recollection.
MICHAEL COPON ON FILMING POWER RANGERS: TIME FORCE “MOVIE MADNESS”
“I fell asleep a lot in that episode, I don’t know why. People kept taking pictures of me on set, asleep like on a chair, but it was really fun playing with all of the different stuff that we had. There was a lot of cool stuff in California that we didn’t even know about until we shot that. Just learning what we learned, like about historical Japan, and Samurai culture, things like that.
I got to learn about how and why we turn around after defeating monsters. It’s like a Samurai respect symbol. When Samurai kill their enemies, they turn their backs out of respect, they don’t watch them die. So in fights, that’s why we turn around and they blow up behind us.” ––Michael Copon, Time Force Blue
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Many Power Rangers fans, myself included, may not have been previously aware of this subtle combat detail. Even Copon’s costar, Erin Cahill was unaware of this prior to the Rangerstop panel, revealing that she thought they turned for greater safety from the explosions. The history of Eastern culture, especially combat greatly influenced the Power Rangers/Super Sentai franchise, throughout many different points in time.
Michael Copon explained what it was like for him to be a Power Ranger in the year 2001.
MICHAEL COPON ON BEING A POWER RANGER IN THE EARLY 2000’S
“It was crazy because at that time, you couldn’t even google things. So, just to be on a TV show, period, when you couldn’t google, when MySpace didn’t even exist, no YouTube, Facebook, any of that stuff. So being on a television show was literally magical, in of itself.
I was talking to some fans earlier today, saying “I didn’t buy a lot of toys, but I wish I did,” because the internet didn’t exist, I didn’t think people were watching the show because we were not Mighty Morphin, and I didn’t buy as many toys as I should have. I wish I could go back in time…No but to be a Power Ranger during that time was literally the most amazing experience.
Going throughout my career, the internet popping up, and you guys all showing your love, it’s been so cool to see it all come full circle. To be a Power Ranger then was so awesome, and I have to say that our cast was literally the best cast. We were like the TV show Friends, you know? I believe that if we were all on a show like Friends, we would have that same success, because the dynamic of all of our characters was so cool, more offscreen than I think onscreen, even.” –Michael Copon, Time Force Blue
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I was born in the year 1999, so my memories from when Time Force was actually airing are some of my earliest. I remember playing the Power Rangers Time Force video game for hours on end, and watching The End Of Time series finale on VHS with my big brother. Back in those days, the internet and social media had yet to become a part of my life, or the lives of most people. All I had to worry about was making sure I didn’t lose my Pink Ranger action figure in the snow fort I was building on a chilly Baltimore morning.
The early 2000’s are an era that is quickly becoming a part of the nostalgic mainstream. As those of us who grew up in that era and/or were heavily impacted by it mature and grow together, the memories of our youth grow fonder. Michael Copon was barely eighteen when the camera’s started rolling on Power Rangers Time Force, and it changed his life forever.
The path that journey started him on, the quest of passionate storytelling in the entertainment industry, has lead Copon to many remarkable places. Soon, it will take the actor turned writer/producer/director to somewhere new. Read Michael Copon’s comments on the exciting new project he’s developing.
POWER RANGERS STAR ON HIS FILM CAREER: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE
“I’m actually directing a movie with Danny Trejo, it’s actually kind of like a prequel to the Uncharted video game movie. Because if you watched the movie, they talk about the gold and Magellan’s ship. Magellan never made it back around the world. So this story I wrote and am directing and playing Lapulapu, who is sort of our Braveheart character. Spain had set out to conquer the Philippines around 1521 and these islands, before they were called the Philippines, and they were all compliant except for Mactan, and Lapulapu, the Datu of that island, fought for the freedom of the land.
We’re pretty fortunate, because we’ve done more than just Power Rangers. It’s been really cool seeing (Erin) doing her thing too. We kept progressing, and it’s great. I will say, writing and producing, I’m getting more of a passion. I’ve always loved the movie Braveheart, and I’ve been looking for my Braveheart. And this Lapulapu character, this story is that. But I’ve got a love, differently for those characters that we seek out than the ones which are given to us.
Like I never thought in my life I would play a cheerleader, even in a movie, but I learned a whole new perspective through that character. Like, I learned just how intense cheer competition is. And of course with Scorpion King, I learned so much about the Sumerians, about Egyptian history, even Babylonian times. It becomes part of you in your research.” –Michael Copon, Time Force Blue
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Though the project Michael Copon is developing is still in the earlier stages of development, it sounds like it has amazing potential. Copon is of Filipino heritage on his father’s side, and the story of Lapulapu sounds like a fascinating historical tale of heroism, tragedy, and the fight for freedom. With a name like Danny Trejo attached, hopefully this untitled film gets some major eyes on it upon release. This story could be the Braveheart of a new generation if done right, which is apparently a dream for Michael Copon.
The epic saga of the Blue Time Force Ranger may have ended on the TV screen many years ago, but his story continues through the stories Michael Copon and others from the Power Rangers Time Force cast and crew share. And who knows? If the fans fight for it, maybe a Time Force revival could come to fruition in the future. It certainly seems like something Copon would be interested in.
What do you think of Michael Copon’s stories about Power Rangers Time Force? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media!
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