Earlier this year, The CW canceled their attempt to bringThe Powerpuff Girlsto their screen in live-action format, and the creator of the original animated series reveals that he always knew the project was not going to work. And for a very specific reason. Created by Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera and later by Cartoon Network Studios,The Powerpuff Girlsfirst debuted in 1998 on Cartoon Network. The story follows Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, three little girls with superpowers who were created by their father, Professor Utonium in his laboratory. While they deal with the problems of any other child their age, they also have the great responsibility of being the heroes of their city, Townsville.
The show was a hit from the start, running for six seasons for a total of 78 episodes, plus a few specials and an animated film. In 2020, The CW confirmed that a live-action adaptation that would focus on adult versions of the characters was in development, something that fans did not like very much.
In 2021, the pilot was officially ordered with the show being re-titledPowerpuff, and starring Chloe Bennet, Dove Cameron and Yana Perrault. However, later that year, it was decided to reshoot another pilot, keeping the cast and crew, but Bennet left the project shortly after. Finally, in May 2023, the network announcedthe official cancelation of the series. And, for McCracken this was not a surprise.
Speaking with theLos Angeles Times, the creator of the original show revealed that he had a meeting with The CW about the project, and predicted that it would fail:
“I had one meeting with them and I told them, ‘When you turn them into adults, they’re no longer the Powerpuff Girls because if they’re adults, that’s just three super girls who don’t have to deal with being kids.’ That’s a completely different show.”
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What Would The Powerpuff Girls Live-Action Series Have Been Like?
According to The CW’s description of the show at the time, the series would follow Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup as disillusioned young adults in their twenties, dealing with the real and invisible scars left by a childhood as superheroes. A very gritty and dark approach compared to the original series, which was colorful, dynamic,fun and loaded with action.
This difference between what the animated series presented and what the live-action sought to deliver was too big and would have been the main conflict in connecting with the audience, especially with those who grew up watchingThe Powerpuff Girlsand would surely seek to find a story just as full of hope as the original one.
The way The CW has developed superhero series, such as those in the Arrowverse, makes it clear that the optimistic and naive tone thatThe Powerpuff Girlshad did not fit the network’s style. And at the same time, those conflicting characters and those dramatic and sometimes tragic plots that are a big part of The CW’s identity, would not have fit well with the style of Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup either.
