In 2023, The CW's live-action Powerpuff Girls series faced cancellation after production troubles. A leaked teaser, since removed by Warner Bros. Entertainment from the "Lost Media Busters" YouTube channel, offers a glimpse into the show's potential. The three-and-a-half-minute trailer depicts the now-adult Powerpuff Girls—Blossom (Chloe Bennet), Bubbles (Dove Cameron), and Buttercup (Yana Perrault)—navigating adulthood's challenges. Blossom is stressed and burnt out, Bubbles struggles with alcohol, and Buttercup embraces rebellion and challenges gender norms.
The trailer shows them accidentally killing Mojo, leading to their escape from Townsville. Years later, they return home, encountering Mojo's adult son, Jojo, who's become the brainwashed city's mayor and seeks revenge. The tone is described as "edgy," featuring humor like Bubbles' juggalo joke and Buttercup's comment about Jojo's feelings for Blossom.
The CW confirmed the footage's authenticity to Variety, clarifying it was an unofficial, unreleased trailer. Initially announced in 2020, the series' cancellation in 2023 followed setbacks including a poorly received pilot and Bennet's departure. CW chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz explained the pilot's failure, citing tonal issues: “The reason you do pilots is because sometimes things miss, and this was just a miss…Tonally, it might’ve felt a little too campy. It didn’t feel as rooted in reality as it might’ve felt.”
