First look at Elizabeth Banks as villain Rita Repulsa in Power Rangers reboot

"I've never played a villain before... It's definitely a modern and edgy re-imagining of the original Rita Repulsa"

Looking sharp, Elizabeth Banks.

People has just revealed our first look at Banks as the Power Rangers reboot's own take on villain Rita Repulsa. The actor has long balanced work in blockbuster fare, whilst becoming a regular member of the mainstream comedy scene; featuring both in the likes of The 40-Year-Old Virgin and the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies; though she's best known for her role as the extravagant Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games series.

Rita Repulsa, however, marks new territory for Banks. "I've never played a villain before," she admitted; though she's keenly looking forward to "word domination - and being unpredictable as a character." The role certainly looks like a blast to play, with the character modernised from her original '90s TV show incarnation into a reptilian green outfit with vicious golden talons. "It's definitely a modern and edgy re-imagining of the original Rita Repulsa," says Banks. "We wanted to give her a backstory that connects her to the new Rangers."

Indeed, director Dean Israelite (Project Almanac) has previously stated this reboot is absolutely intended as an updated reflection of the current teen experience, as a coming-of-age story for the "disenfranchised and disparate". He's also been careful to keep diversity at the heart of the Power Rangers, while swapping around some of the original's, awkwardly race-based colour assignments.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl's RJ Cyler plays Billy Cranston (the Blue Ranger); Naomi Scott plays Kimberly Hart (the Pink Ranger); Ludi Lin plays Zack Taylor (the Black Ranger); popstar Becky G. plays Trini Kwan (the Yellow Ranger); and Dacre Montogomery plays Jason Lee Scott (the Red Ranger).

"It’s very exciting that we got [Banks], and I think what she loves is the opportunity to really embrace the insanity and deliciousness of Rita Repulsa in terms of how weird and wonderful that character was, and really dive into and consume that character," Israelite said of his star.

"You should always be off-balance when you’re watching her. Is she insane? Is she totally calculated? Does she know what she’s doing? Elizabeth can toe that line really well."

Power Rangers hits screens in 2017.