Looks like the CW’s live-action reboot of The Powerpuff Girls (which is now being called Powerpuff) has hit yet another snag. Actress Chloe Bennet, who was cast in the role as Blossom, the leader of the Powerpuff Girls, will be stepping down from the role. As Variety reports, “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.”
At this time, Bennet is the only person stepping down from the role. Dove Cameron and Yana Perrault, who play Bubbles and Buttercup respectively, remain. There is also Donald Faison as Professor Drake Utonium, Nicholas Podany as Mojo Jojo (listed as Joseph “Jojo” Mondel Jr.), and Robyn Lively as Sara Bellum.
There has been speculation Bennet is leaving after issues with the initial pilot. In May of this year, the supposed script for the Powerpuff pilot leaked to the public. The contents were so cringe-inducing that the CW decided to rework and reshoot it, with CW chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz publicly addressing the concerns:
“The reason we do pilots is, sometimes things miss. We believe in the cast and in [writers Diablo Cody and Heather Regnier] and [executive producer Greg Berlanti] and studio Warner Bros. In this case, the pilot didn’t work. Because we see enough elements in there, we wanted to give it another shot. It may have felt a little too campy and not rooted in reality. You learn things when you test things out. We felt, ‘Let’s take a step back and go back to the drawing board.’ This is a powerful property, it engaged a lot of interest, and we want to get it right.”
There has also been speculation that Bennet left because she will have a part to play as Daisy Johnson in Marvel’s Secret Invasion. Bennet played the character in the TV show, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
No word yet as to whether there are any actresses currently in consideration for the role.
