#’Powerpuff Girls’ Looking for New Lead After Chloe Bennet Exits

Marvel’s Chloe Bennet is out of the CW’s live-action Powerpuff Girls pilot, where she was set to star as one of the three leads.

According to Variety, Warner Bros. Television wanted to extend Bennet’s option as the studio reworked the pilot, but a conflict in schedule caused the Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star to leave the project. Bennet was lined up to play Blossom in the upcoming pilot; the role will now be recast, with casting taking place in the fall.

An original pilot for the series, titled Powerpuff, had already been produced earlier in the year and was in contention to air this fall. However, during The CW’s upfront press call back in May, the network’s chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz referred to the first pilot as “a miss,” and a decision was made to redevelop and reshoot the episode.

“You learn things and you test things out. In this case we felt let’s take a step back and go back to the drawing board because this is a powerful property, it has engaged a lot of interest and we want to get it right before we put it out,” Pedowitz said.

Disney Channel star Dove Cameron is still attached to the project as Bubbles, while newcomer Yana Perrault remains on as Buttercup. Talks are currently ongoing regarding the rest of the original pilot cast, which included Donald Faison as Professor Drake Utonium, Nicholas Podany as villain Mojo Jojo, and Robyn Lively as Sara Bellum.

Heather Regnier (Veronica Mars) and Diablo Cody (Juno) penned the pilot, which is based on Craig McCracken’s popular Cartoon Network series. The live-action reimagining is expected to see the kindergarten-aged superheroes grown-up as disillusioned 20-somethings, resentful of having lost their childhood to crime-fighting.

Powerpuff, TBA, The CW