Actor Chloe Bennet has left the upcoming live-action Powerpuff Girls reboot show. The Agents of SHIELD star was set to play the adult Blossom in Powerpuff, which is being developed by The CW.
According to Deadline, Bennet has quit Powerpuff due to scheduling issues. The show's other main stars--Dove Cameron and Yana Perrault--will stay on in the roles of Bubbles and Buttercup, while Blossom will be recast.
Chloe Bennet in Agents of SHIELDBennet's exit from Powerpuff is the latest setback for the series. The pilot episode was shot earlier this year, but in May, it was reported that it will be entirely rewritten and reshot to reduce the "campy" feel of the first version. The CW's CEO Mark Pedowitz stated that, "because we see enough elements in there, we wanted to give it another shot. Tonally, it might have felt a little too campy, and didn't feel as rooted in reality as it might have felt."
Powerpuff also stars Donald Faison as Powerpuff creator Professor Utonium, Nicholas Podany as the villainous Mojo Jojo, and Robyn Lively as the team's loyal ally Sara Bellum. The show has been developed by writer/producers Diablo Cody (Juno, Jennifer's Body) and Heather Regnier (Sleepy Hollow). According to the official synopsis, Powerpuff will portray the superhero trio as "disillusioned twentysomethings who resent having lost their childhood to crime fighting."
The Powerpuff Girls was originally created by animator Craig McCracken for Cartoon Network. It ran for six seasons between 1998 and 2005. There was also a feature-length animated movie released in 2002, and three specials. In 2016, the show was rebooted by Cartoon Network, and to date there have been three seasons.