James Van Der Beek, a talented and often subtle actor, passed away on February 11, 2026. While he’s best known for playing Dawson Leery in the popular TV show Dawson’s Creek, he also worked on many other worthwhile projects that haven’t received the attention they deserve. A prime example is Power/Rangers, a compelling short film inspired by the original series, which remains largely unknown to many.
I’m really excited about this new short! It takes the core idea of the original Power Rangers – a team chosen to defend Earth – but flips it on its head. Instead of succeeding, their mission fails, and the world ends up a dark, machine-controlled wasteland. It’s a much grittier, more mature take on the show we all loved as kids, clearly made for those of us who grew up with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and want something a little more intense now.
Power/Rangers Proves Morphin’ Time Is Not Just For Kids
In 2015, director Joseph Kahn released Power/Rangers, a short film available for free on YouTube and Vimeo. The 14-minute film depicts an interrogation: the current Red Ranger, Rocky (James Van Der Beek), questions former Pink Ranger Kimberly about the location of Tommy Oliver, who was once the Green Ranger (played by Russ Bain). It’s important to note that this was an unauthorized production.
The short film is packed with enthusiastic nods to the original story, but it’s presented with genuine sincerity and raw energy. You don’t even need to be a fan to enjoy it – the action sequences are fantastic, the acting is strong, and the visual effects are surprisingly good.
It’s not surprising that Haim Saban, the original creator of Power Rangers, was initially concerned about fan-made content. However, he quickly realized this ‘fan fiction’ was actually helping the franchise, particularly as the 2017 movie approached.
It’s too bad this fan-made short wasn’t officially recognized or turned into a proper adaptation. Its surprisingly dark approach to the story could have really energized the franchise and attracted an older audience.
How James Van Der Beek Got Involved With Power/Rangers
In Power/Rangers, Jason David Frank played a version of Rocky (originally portrayed by Steve Cardenas) who had turned against the Power Rangers and sided with the villains. Interestingly, Frank also co-wrote the short film, working closely with Joseph Kahn and Dutch Southern and actively participating in its production.
When the film came out, Van Der Beek told The Hollywood Reporter how he started working with the producer, his friend Adi Shankar, and the creatively bold Kahn. He explained that he wanted to support Kahn’s vision for a project made purely for the fans, offered freely. He said it reminded him of the core reason he became an actor: to create something exciting.
He was capable of much more than people realized. Like his comedic role in Varsity Blues or his over-the-top portrayal on Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23, he had a knack for entertaining. A project similar to Power Rangers would have suited him well. As this short film demonstrates with its impressive fight scenes and believable tough-guy persona, he had the talent to be a successful action star, but Hollywood often only saw him as the character from Dawson.
This quote highlights Van Der Beek’s willingness to pursue interesting and original projects, even if they weren’t guaranteed to be profitable. That kind of artistic courage is rare and makes him truly exceptional in his field.
The incredible support and heartfelt tributes from fans and those who knew him clearly show what a talented performer he was. It’s also easy to see he had even greater potential, and could have achieved so much more with a wider range of roles and opportunities to showcase his skills, much like what we see in the Power/Rangers short film.
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2026-02-14 02:40