In 2023, the much-anticipated live-action series featuring the grown-up Powerpuff Girls was canceled by The CW after facing numerous challenges. Recently, a teaser video that surfaced online has given fans a glimpse into what the show could have been, sparking a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
The teaser, which appeared on the YouTube channel "Lost Media Busters," was swiftly removed due to a copyright claim by Warner Bros. Entertainment. Clocking in at three and a half minutes, the trailer introduces us to Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup as young adults, portrayed by Chloe Bennet, Dove Cameron, and Yana Perrault, respectively. The narrative shows the trio grappling with adult life: Blossom battling burnout, Bubbles turning to alcohol, and Buttercup rebelling against societal norms.
In the trailer, the Powerpuff Girls inadvertently cause the death of a character named Mojo and subsequently flee Townsville. Years later, they return to visit their father, Professor Utonium, played by Donald Faison, only to face a new threat: Mojo's adult son, Jojo, who has become the mayor of Townsville and is seeking vengeance after brainwashing the city's residents. The trailer attempts to inject "edgy" humor, with references to juggalos and provocative dialogue.
The CW has acknowledged the authenticity of the footage to Variety, though it clarified that the trailer was not meant for public release. The live-action Powerpuff Girls series was initially announced in 2020 but faced cancellation in 2023 following several setbacks, including an unsuccessful pilot and the exit of Chloe Bennet from the project.
Reflecting on the project's challenges, CW chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz commented, "The reason you do pilots is because sometimes things miss, and this was just a miss. We believe in the cast completely. We believe in Diablo [Cody] and Heather [Regnier], the writers. We believe in the auspices of Greg Berlanti and Warner studios. In this case, the pilot didn’t work. But because we see there’s enough elements in there, we wanted to give it another shot. So that’s why we didn’t want to go forward with what we had. Tonally, it might’ve felt a little too campy. It didn’t feel as rooted in reality as it might’ve felt. But again, you learn things when you test things out. And so in this case, we felt, let’s take a step back and go back to the drawing board."
