Powerpuff Things just can’t seem to go right for The CW‘s live-action adaptation of The Powerpuff Girls, as one of the leads, Chloe Bennet, has dropped out of the project currently titled Powerpuff, according to Variety. The series was announced back in August 2020, with Heather Regnier and Academy Award-winner Diablo Cody as writers.

Notoriously, the pilot screened earlier this year, and was on track for a potential fall release date, until the CW decided to completely redevelop and reshoot the project instead. Warner Bros. TV Group President Channing Dungey said at the time:

“I’m not going to say that it hasn’t been a challenge. Bringing a children’s cartoon into live-action adulthood has been a really fine line to walk, but I think we’ve done a pretty great job walking it.”

The series is based on the 1998 cartoon of the same name, which follows three girls named Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup, who became superheroes after their father, Professor Drake Utonium, created them in a lab. In the fictional city of Townsville, they frequently fight criminals and villains like Mojo Jojo. The new series follows the young superheroes into their twenties, as they eventually start to resent the loss of their childhood to crime fighting.

Bennet was set to play Blossom, who is the unofficial leader of the Powerpuff Girls. Her signature color is pink and is the most level-headed of the group. In the pilot, she is described as a Little-Miss-Perfect child who holds several advanced degrees, but is suffering from childhood trauma and wants to become a leader again on her own terms. Unfortunately, since the pilot needs to be reworked and re-shot, Bennet had to drop out of the project due to scheduling conflicts. Warner Bros. Television will begin casting for the new Powerpuff Girl this fall.

Dove Cameron and Yana Perrault are still attached to play Bubbles and Buttercup, respectively. Additional cast members include Donald Faison as Professor Drake Utonium, Nicholas Podany as Mojo Jojo (now named Joseph “Jojo” Mondel Jr.) and Robyn Lively as Sara Bellum, the Mayor’s secretary. She notably never shows her face in the cartoon, and is always wearing a red business suit that clashes with her big, red hair. All of the stars are currently in talks to have them return for the new pilot.

With new casting needed, it may take longer for Powerpuff to premiere on the CW. Right now, there is no release date for the series.

via Collider