Recall the CW’s announcement in 2021 about a live-action Powerpuff Girls series? If not, it’s understandable, given the series’ tumultuous development, including a reworked pilot, the departure of lead actress Chloe Bennet, and its eventual cancellation in 2023. Despite this, a leaked trailer offered a glimpse into what could have been.

Recently, YouTube channel Lost Media Busters, dedicated to uncovering unreleased content, uploaded footage of the CW’s Powerpuff Girls series. However, it was promptly removed due to a copyright claim by Warner Bros. The series would have starred Agents of SHIELD‘s Chloe Bennet as Blossom, Descendants‘ Dove Cameron as Bubbles, and singer Yana Perrault as Buttercup, alongside Scrubs‘ Donald Faison as Professor Utonium and Nicholas Podany as Joseph “Jojo” Mondel Jr.

The three-and-a-half-minute trailer, narrated by Tom Kenny, shows the Powerpuff Girls as young adults struggling with their heroic images in Townsville. After a mishap leads to Mojo Jojo’s demise, the girls go their separate ways: Blossom leaves home, Jojo’s son seeks revenge, Buttercup becomes a firefighter, and Bubbles attempts to become an influencer. Years later, they reunite to stop Jojo’s son from manipulating the townspeople’s minds and to clear their father’s name.

The trailer provides insight into the series’ potential, with its blend of millennial humor and superhero action. Although the show’s development was cut short, it’s intriguing to consider what it could have become if it had taken a different approach.

While the video may have been removed due to copyright claims, it’s clear that the live-action Powerpuff Girls show had its unique elements, despite its potential flaws. The blend of humor and action could have made for an entertaining, if not perfect, series.

Prior to Chloe Bennet’s departure, CW Chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz expressed the network’s continued faith in the project, citing the need for reshoots to make the series feel more grounded in reality. “It didn’t feel as rooted in reality as it might’ve felt. But again, you learn things when you test things out. And in this case, we felt, let’s take a step back and go back to the drawing board,” Pedowitz said.

Unlike many canceled shows, the CW’s Powerpuff Girls series provided a glimpse into what could have been. While it’s intriguing to consider what the show could have become, it’s also a reminder that sometimes, even with the best intentions, projects don’t always come to fruition.

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