Back in 2023, The CW's ambitious project to bring a live-action version of the beloved "Powerpuff Girls" to the screen was canceled after facing numerous challenges. Recently, a teaser video that surfaced online has given fans a glimpse into what the series could have looked like, sparking a mix of curiosity and controversy.

The teaser, which was briefly available on the YouTube channel "Lost Media Busters," was quickly taken down due to a copyright claim by Warner Bros. Entertainment. This three-and-a-half-minute trailer introduced viewers to an adult version of the iconic trio: Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. In the video, Blossom (played by Chloe Bennet) is depicted as stressed and burnt out, Bubbles (Dove Cameron) is shown dealing with alcohol, and Buttercup (Yana Perrault) is portrayed as rebellious and challenging gender norms.

Official images of the three Powerpuff Girls from CW's live-action effort: Dove Cameron, Chloe Bennet, and Yana Perrault.The trailer sets up a dark premise where the sisters accidentally kill a human named Mojo and flee Townsville. Years later, they return to visit their father, Professor Utonium (Donald Faison), only to find that Mojo's son, Jojo, has become the mayor of Townsville. Jojo has brainwashed the town's citizens and is plotting revenge against the Powerpuff Girls. The trailer includes edgy humor, with references to juggalos and a provocative remark about Jojo's animosity towards Blossom.

The CW confirmed to Variety that the footage is genuine but was not intended for public release. The live-action "Powerpuff Girls" series was first announced in 2020 but faced significant hurdles, leading to its cancellation in 2023. One of the major setbacks was the initial pilot, which did not meet expectations, prompting the network to consider reworking the project.

CW chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz explained the decision to cancel the pilot, stating, "The reason you do pilots is because sometimes things miss, and this was just a miss. We believe in the cast completely. We believe in Diablo [Cody] and Heather [Regnier], the writers. We believe in the auspices of Greg Berlanti and Warner studios. In this case, the pilot didn’t work. But because we see there’s enough elements in there, we wanted to give it another shot. So that’s why we didn’t want to go forward with what we had. Tonally, it might’ve felt a little too campy. It didn’t feel as rooted in reality as it might’ve felt. But again, you learn things when you test things out. And so in this case, we felt, let’s take a step back and go back to the drawing board."

This glimpse into the potential live-action series has reignited discussions about the challenges of adapting beloved animated characters into a more mature, live-action format.