Variety has announced that Chloe Bennet, who was set to play Blossom (commander and the leader) in The CW’s live-action Powerpuff Girls series, has exited the project. Variety’s Joe Otterson writes, “According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, studio Warner Bros. Television wanted to extend Bennet’s option as they reworked the pilot, but scheduling conflicts forced her to exit instead. Casting for a new third Powerpuff Girl will begin in the fall.”
Of course, fans have started to guess what those scheduling conflicts for Bennet could be.
#WhatIf Chloe Bennet isn’t playing Blossom in the PowerPuff Girls show anymore because she’s busy with SECRET INVASION pic.twitter.com/Tuao0QRyJP
— BLURAYANGEL (@blurayangel) August 11, 2021
(That’s just speculation, by the way, nothing has been announced with Bennet and Marvel).
Both Dove Cameron and Yana Perrault remain on the project as Bubbles and Buttercup, with Donald Faison as Professor Drake Utonium, Nicholas Podany as Joseph “Jojo” Mondel Jr., and Robyn Lively as Sara Bellum.
To say that Powerpuff (the current title of the series) has had a bumpy development cycle is probably one of the biggest understatements of 2021. It was already a series that many didn’t ask for, mostly because the CW is… the CW… but those concerns have been escalating with every piece of news that comes with this project.
The phrase “disillusioned 20-somethings” will haunt this series for the rest of its days, but the CW is gonna CW so now we had character descriptions for Blossom like, “Though she was a spunky, conscientious, Little-Miss-Perfect child who holds several advanced degrees, Blossom has repressed kiddie-superhero trauma that has left her feeling anxious and reclusive, and she aims to become a leader again, this time on her own terms.”
This tweet pretty much sums up the response to the whole kiddie-superhero trauma bit:
They loved crime fighting! THEY LOVED IT! They had amazing adventures! They were every little girl’s fantasy of, “What if I had all the powers of Superman and I could save the day but then also play with my dolls and coloring books?”
But no. “What if they hated it, actually?”
— Katie 😈 (@PoeHotDameron) February 9, 2021
To be fair there is another part of the Internet that is all for this series for the complete mess that it was shaping out to be, especially after that alleged leaked script went around online. However, between the pilot being reworked because the chairman of the CW (Mark Pedowitz) called it, I kid you not, “too campy,” and now Chloe Bennet’s departure, there’s no telling when we’re even getting the pilot.
Or if we should get a pilot at all.
Between having the script leaked, having to shoot a 2nd pilot and basically every PPG fan express their dislike for the idea of an edgy live action version, might be a sign to call it quits with this show.
— Kitty-catfox (@KittenFox_55) August 11, 2021
This actress may have just saved her whole career by walking away from playing Blossom in the Powerpuff Girls live-action series. 💀
how do these mfs not foresee the 19 different ways this shit could go wrong? pic.twitter.com/E39qI4JzOO
— JOURDON⚡ (@DynamoSuperX) August 11, 2021
Honestly, all the behind-the-scenes stories about the series feel bigger than the series itself, hell, at one point Dove Cameron came out to address concerns that the leaked script was the cause of the delay.
What even is this series?
This shows production has been one of the biggest messes I’ve seen in a while.
— SolidDante (@SolidKamenR) August 11, 2021
I guess all that’s left to do is stay tuned for the next update, which I’m assuming will be the casting of a new Blossom, but who knows when it comes to Powerpuff.
(Image: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
