The Powerpuff Girls were once the pride of Townsville, defending the city from villains, monsters, and their arch-nemesis, Mojo Jojo. A generation grew up watching Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup balance kindergarten with crime-fighting, becoming icons of animated television in the process. When The CW announced a live-action reboot in 2020, reactions were mixed. A grittier, more “mature” take on the trio felt like an odd direction, but with Diablo Cody (Juno, Jennifer’s Body) on board as a writer and a solid cast including Chloe Bennet (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Dove Cameron (Descendants), and Yana Perrault (Good Morning America), there was at least some curiosity about how it might turn out.
Production hit roadblocks early on. The pilot was reportedly scrapped and rewritten after failing to meet expectations, and despite attempts to rework the series, it was ultimately shelved entirely by 2023. For years, fans speculated about what exactly had gone wrong. Now, thanks to a leaked full-length trailer, there’s a much clearer picture of why the show never made it past the pilot stage.
The leaked footage reveals a drastically different version of The Powerpuff Girls than what audiences remember from the original cartoon. The concept positions the animated series as an in-universe adaptation of real-life events, with the titular heroes now disillusioned twenty-somethings. Blossom, played by Bennet, has disappeared from the public eye after a disastrous battle resulted in Mojo Jojo’s death. Buttercup, portrayed by Perrault, has given up crime-fighting to become a firefighter, while Cameron’s Bubbles has embraced fame in the most self-destructive way possible — by turning to alcohol and selling merchandise based on her former superhero identity.
The footage also introduces Jojo, the human son of Mojo Jojo, who has become the mayor of Townsville and harbors a grudge against the former heroes. His character, a major departure from the cartoon’s original villain, is at the centre of the plot, using his powers to turn the city’s residents into violent rioters. While the trailer showcases the trio reluctantly coming together to stop him, it also hints at an unexpected romantic subplot between Jojo and Blossom, a creative decision that immediately raised eyebrows.
Unlike many leaked trailers that surface in an incomplete state, this footage appears to be from a nearly finished product, complete with visual effects and full production value that only makes it clearer why the project was abandoned. The attempt at a dark, self-aware, and campy reinvention of the franchise seems to have missed the mark entirely. The humour falls flat, and the tonal shift from the original cartoon is so drastic that it’s hard to imagine a version of the show that would have satisfied either longtime fans or newcomers.
The decision to age up the characters and lean into themes of trauma and disillusionment may have worked in a different setting, but applying it to The Powerpuff Girls comes across as a fundamental misunderstanding of what made the show beloved in the first place. Elements like a human Mojo Jojo, the idea of the trio becoming estranged from each other, and a storyline revolving around politics rather than over-the-top supervillain antics feel out of place in a franchise built on vibrant, absurd, and action-packed storytelling.
Most abandoned pilots remain locked away, never to be seen by the public, so getting a glimpse of what Powerpuff Girls could have been serves as a reminder that not every animated property needs a gritty, live-action makeover, especially when it drastically alters the essence of what made the original so beloved.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she’s not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Caleb from Love and Deepspace.
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