In 2023, The CW pulled the plug on a highly anticipated live-action series featuring the grown-up Powerpuff Girls, following a series of reported challenges. Recently, a teaser video that offers a glimpse into what the show could have been like has emerged online, sparking intrigue and conversation among fans.
The video, which was briefly available on the YouTube channel "Lost Media Busters," was quickly removed due to a copyright claim by Warner Bros. Entertainment. The three-and-a-half-minute trailer sets the stage for the series, showing Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup as young adults navigating life away from home. Blossom, portrayed by Chloe Bennet, is depicted as stressed and burnt out, while Bubbles, played by Dove Cameron, struggles with drinking, and Buttercup, portrayed by Yana Perrault, is shown as rebellious and challenging gender norms.
The trailer follows the trio as they accidentally kill a human named Mojo and subsequently flee Townsville. Years later, they return to visit their father, Professor Utonium, played by Donald Faison. They find that Mojo's son, Jojo, has grown up to become the mayor of Townsville, brainwashed its citizens, and is now seeking revenge against them. The trailer includes edgy humor, with Bubbles joking about juggalos and Buttercup making a provocative comment about Jojo's feelings towards Blossom.
The CW has confirmed to Variety that the footage is authentic, though it was not an official trailer intended for public release.
The live-action Powerpuff Girls project was first announced in 2020 but faced numerous setbacks, leading to its cancellation in 2023. A key issue was the initial pilot, which did not meet expectations. CW chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz explained, "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."
This glimpse into the potential series has left fans wondering what could have been, and whether a different approach might have brought the beloved characters to life in a way that resonated with audiences.
