Matt Damon’s Mysterious ‘Thasnagar’ Finally Begins Filming — And It Looks Like The Daniels Are Making Their Own Power Rangers-Style Spectacle
A bizarre new sci-fi project from Everything Everywhere All at Once filmmakers The Daniels has finally started taking shape, and the first glimpses from its production are already generating plenty of comparisons to Power Rangers.
Currently believed to be operating under the working title ‘Thasnagar’, the upcoming Universal film stars Matt Damon, Sandra Oh, Charles Melton and a young ensemble cast. While the movie has been kept remarkably secret, recent set images have offered the clearest indication yet of what The Daniels have been preparing.
And yes — the colorful costumes are very real.
A Power Rangers Movie Without Actually Being Power Rangers
The easiest way to describe Thasnagar is also the most misleading.
Reports have repeatedly compared the project to Power Rangers, largely because its young heroes reportedly wear color-coded costumes and face enormous monsters. However, the movie is not officially part of the Power Rangers franchise and is understood to be an entirely original property.
Recent photographs from the Los Angeles set have now made those comparisons considerably harder to ignore.
Matt Damon has been spotted wearing an elaborate red superhero costume, complete with a helmet, cape-like elements and oversized gloves. Other reported images show performers wearing similarly colorful suits, including blue, pink and yellow designs.
That immediately raises an interesting question:
Are The Daniels about to turn the superhero genre completely upside down?
Considering their track record, that may be exactly the point.
The Daniels Are Behind The Camera
Thasnagar is being directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, better known collectively as The Daniels.
The pair became international sensations after Everything Everywhere All at Once, a wildly inventive film that combined science fiction, action, absurd comedy and deeply personal family drama.
Their next project appears to be taking that same appetite for unpredictability and pushing it into much larger territory.
The film has reportedly been described as a combination of teen coming-of-age storytelling, science fiction, anime influences, superheroes and giant-monster action. Damon himself previously gave an intentionally unusual description of the concept, comparing it to The Breakfast Club meeting Inception, an anime and an episode of The John Oliver Show.
If that sounds completely insane, that’s probably the appeal.
Matt Damon Is Entering A Very Different Kind Of Role
Damon’s involvement may be the biggest surprise of all.
After starring in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, the actor is now stepping into something that appears dramatically different from the grounded action and prestige projects audiences normally associate with him.
According to reports, Damon plays a superhero-like character who assists a group of younger protagonists. The character is also reportedly connected to an AI assistant portrayed by Sandra Oh.
The leaked costume certainly suggests that Damon won’t simply be standing on the sidelines.
Instead, he appears to be embracing the project’s deliberately exaggerated visual language.
And that’s where the movie could become particularly interesting.
Sandra Oh, Charles Melton And A Young Ensemble
Damon isn’t alone.
The reported cast includes Sandra Oh and Charles Melton, alongside a group of younger actors including Sean Kaufman, Silvia Dionicio, Jackson Kelly, Kerrice Brooks and Thalia Dudek.
The supporting cast is also reported to include Michael Gandolfini, John Leguizamo and musician PinkPantheress.
Sandra Oh’s reported role is particularly intriguing. Earlier reports have described her character as an AI companion to Damon’s character, although the exact nature of that relationship remains unclear.
With such an unusual ensemble, it’s difficult to predict exactly how the characters will fit together — which seems very much in keeping with The Daniels’ approach to filmmaking.
What Is ‘Thasnagar’ Actually About?
This is where things become considerably murkier.
Universal has kept the official story details under wraps, and ‘Thasnagar’ has not been publicly established as the final title. The name is currently being reported as a working title.
However, reports have pointed toward a story involving two different time periods — the 1980s and the present day — with young protagonists, giant monsters, superheroes, time travel and climate change playing important roles.
One description has characterized the movie as a superhero blockbuster where global warming serves as the central threat.
That sounds like an incredibly strange combination on paper.
But if there’s one filmmaking duo capable of making that combination work, it’s The Daniels.
Why The Power Rangers Comparisons Make Sense
The Power Rangers connection isn’t simply based on the fact that the costumes are colorful.
The reported concept involves a group of young heroes wearing distinct colors and joining forces against giant creatures — a setup that naturally evokes Japanese tokusatsu and the Super Sentai/Power Rangers tradition.
The visual evidence from the set makes the resemblance even more obvious.
However, it’s important not to describe Thasnagar as an actual Power Rangers film.
It isn’t.
The movie is reportedly an original Universal production that draws inspiration from the visual language and conventions associated with the franchise rather than continuing its storyline or using its characters.
That distinction could actually make the project more exciting.
Instead of another reboot or continuation, The Daniels appear to have the freedom to take the formula somewhere completely unexpected.
The First Images Change Everything
Until now, much of the discussion surrounding the project has been based on industry reports and rumors.
The newly surfaced production images change that.
Seeing Damon and other performers actually wearing brightly colored superhero costumes confirms that at least some of the stranger reports surrounding the film were pointing in the right direction.
It also suggests that Universal isn’t attempting to hide the project’s unusual visual identity once cameras are rolling.
And honestly, that’s probably a good thing.
A conventional superhero movie from The Daniels would be far less interesting than whatever this appears to be.
When Will ‘Thasnagar’ Be Released?
Universal currently has the Daniels’ mystery project scheduled for November 19, 2027.
That gives the filmmakers plenty of time to complete production and post-production on what is reportedly an ambitious, effects-heavy project.
The final title, however, remains unconfirmed.
So for now, ‘Thasnagar’ is best treated as a working title rather than the movie’s definitive name.
Our Take
The most fascinating thing about this project isn’t necessarily the Power Rangers resemblance.
It’s who is making it.
The Daniels have already demonstrated that they can take an absurd premise, throw multiple genres into a blender and somehow turn the result into something emotionally meaningful. Now they’re reportedly doing that on a much bigger canvas, with Matt Damon leading a colorful superhero ensemble against giant monsters and a climate-related threat.
That could become a complete disaster.
Or it could become one of the wildest original blockbusters in years.
Right now, we’re leaning toward the second possibility.
The first set images have certainly made Thasnagar one of the most intriguing upcoming sci-fi films to watch.
And if those costumes are any indication, The Daniels aren’t playing it safe.
Quick Facts
Detail What we know
Working title Thasnagar
Director The Daniels — Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
Studio Universal
Lead cast Matt Damon, Sandra Oh, Charles Melton and others
Genre Sci-fi / superhero / giant-monster spectacle
Reported influences Power Rangers, anime, coming-of-age films and superhero cinema
Production Filming underway
Official Power Rangers connection? No
Reported theatrical release November 19, 2027
