Dove Cameron Live-Action 'Powerpuff Girls' Series: What We Know

The city of Townsville is headed back to TV — well, maybe not anymore! Dove Cameron was set to star in a live-action Powerpuff Girls series on the CW. However, the network pulled the plug on the series in May 2023.

News that the famed Cartoon Network series was coming to life was first reported by Deadline in August 2020. “The Powerpuff Girls used to be America’s pint-sized superheroes. Now they’re disillusioned 20-somethings who resent having lost their childhood to crime fighting. Will they agree to reunite now that the world needs them more than ever?” the outlet shared at the time.

At the time, it was reported that Dove, who was set to take on the role of Bubbles, would share the screen with actresses Chloe Bennet and Yana Perrault, who were cast as Blossom and Buttercup, respectively. However, after the pilot was filmed, it was reported that the show would be “reworked and redeveloped.” At the time, that led to new casting changes.

Keep reading for everything to know about the Powerpuff Girls series.

Who Are the Powderpuff Girls?

The original show aired on Cartoon Network from 1998 until 2005 and followed the story of three young superheroes who were created in the lab — from sugar, spice and everything nice — by Professor Utonium. Every time the city of Townsville was in trouble, the girls were there to save the day. Although not much is known about the reimagined and series just yet, fans can definitely expect to see their favorite cartoon superheroes like never before.

The Casting News

“I cannot WAIT for you guys to see this show, Dove wrote on Twitter following the official announcement. “The script is unreal, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed out loud so much reading anything. Without giving anything away, as a huge fan of the cartoon, this script is my true fantasy!! Stay tuuuuuuneddd.”

Chloe, for her part, shared multiple reactions via social media. “I’m so f–king excited for this,” one post read. Another added, “I’m a heckin’ Powerpuff Girl now wtf.” Prior to their upcoming TV role as superhero sisters, Dove and Chloe costarred on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. However, in August 2021, Variety reported that Chloe had stepped away from the project due to “scheduling conflicts.”

As for their sisterly bond, Dove told POPSUGAR in March 2021 that the three girls are “in love already.”

“We have the most incredible chemistry, which is so lucky because you never know,” she gushed. “We feel like sisters already. We’re all so geeked to be a part of this. We all feel so lucky, and we’re in touch every day. We talk every day. We send voice notes constantly. It’s moving quickly, and it’s real, it’s happening.”

Scroll through our gallery for everything we know about The CW’s new Powerpuff Girls series so far.

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Blossom

Initially, Chloe — who rose to fame for her role in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. — was set to star as the pink superhero. In August 2021, it was reported that she stepped away from the project.

“Blossom — though she was a spunky, conscientious, Little-Miss-Perfect child who holds several advanced degrees — 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,” Variety reported in March 2021.

Bubbles

Dove will take on Bubbles’ iconic pigtails. “Bubbles’ sweet-girl disposition won America’s hearts as a child,” Variety also reported. “She still sparkles as an adult, but her charming exterior belies an unexpected toughness and wit. She’s initially more interested in recapturing her fame than saving the world, but she just might surprise us and herself.”

During a March 2021 chat with POPSUGAR, Dove revealed that she and her character have a lot in common. “Bubbles and I, in this iteration, have a lot in common. I actually think it’s going to be very healing for me to be able to play a character that is so close to home, because it’s not what anybody would expect,” she explained. “So I’m very much looking forward to bringing the human dimension to what has up until this point only been a very beloved cartoon, while also keeping the integrity of the original [Intellectual Property] and keeping it fun and light and having it be something that everybody still sees themselves in.”

Similarly, she told NYLON in April 2021 that she’s “so excited to be in jeans and a little blue tank top and then levitate and zoom out of a window. Please. Fighting monsters? But also, specifically getting to play the Powerpuff Girls. I grew up without cable and I even knew what the Powerpuff Girls were. I’m a freak for them.”

Buttercup

Yana, the former Broadway star, will channel her inner Buttercup.

“Buttercup was the rebellious badass of the Powerpuff Girls in its heyday,” per Variety. “More sensitive than her tough exterior suggests, Buttercup has spent her adulthood trying to shed her Powerpuff Girl identity and live an anonymous life.”

Professor Utonium

Actor Donald Faison, who fans may recognize from Scrubs or Clueless will star as the professor who brings the girls to life! According to Variety, this version of the professor will be “quirky, debonair, and a pinch narcissistic. He is a scientific genius who is immensely proud of the three extraordinary girls he created in his lab. Staring down a midlife crisis, he is determined to repair his relationships with his now-adult daughters.”

The Cancellation

In May 2021 it was reported by TVLine that the show would be “reworked and redeveloped off-cycle.” Two years later, it was announced that the show would no longer be happening on the CW.

“We’ve already given those back to the studios,” Brad Schwartz, President of Entertainment, told TV Line in May 2023 of the series. “So, they’re free to develop those and sell them anywhere.”