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POWER RANGERS Reboot Reveals First Photo of Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa

Power Rangers fans, it’s time to conquer Earth! Last month, Lionsgate unveiled the first look at the cast of the cinematic reboot of the classic Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series. Today, we’ve finally got a chance to see what Elizabeth Banks looks like in costume as the very first Power Rangers villian, Rita Repulsa.

Entertainment Weekly debuted the image of Banks in costume as Rita, and needless to say, it’s quite different from the costume that was on the TV show!

Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa

This incarnation of Rita looks like she can fight. There’s something decidedly reptilian about all of that green in her hair and her new costume. Her golden talons kind of remind us of Lord Zedd’s hands. For comparison’s sake, here’s what Rita looked like on the Power Rangers television series.

Rita Repulsa Power Rangers 1a

In a brief feature, Banks told People Magazine that “I’ve never played a villain before,” and she added that she’s looking forward to “world domination – and being unpredictable as a character.” Banks also teased “a modern and edgy re-imagining of the original Rita Repulsa…We wanted to give her a backstory that connects her to the new Rangers.”

On the TV show, Rita did have a connection to the Power Rangers’ leader and mentor, Zordon, who trapped Rita and her minions for ten thousand years before their escape at the beginning of the series. Eventually, Rita was displaced by Lord Zedd as the main villain before rejoining the show and becoming an evil power couple with Zedd himself.

Power Rangers will be released in theaters on March 24, 2017.

What do you think about Rita Repulsa’s new look? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Lionsgate/Entertainment Weekly/Saban

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