The Powerpuff Girls are long-standing cartoon icons, but how do their new live action counterparts compare? With the CW’s recent announcement of the casting for its live-action Powerpuff Girls reboot, 90s nostalgia is in full swing. Created by Craig McKracken, the original Powerpuff Girls series follows the pursuits of three sisters–– who also happen to be child superheroes. Their father, Professor Utonium, longing for children of his own, creates the girls in his laboratory, but accidentally adds “Chemical X,” which gives the girls a wide array of superpowers. Blossom, Buttercup, and Bubbles fight to protect the citizens of Townsville from evil, all while juggling the many lessons of growing up.
The CW’s Powerpuff Girls reboot will depict the young heroes in their twenties, retired from the business of fighting crime. However, the show will draw the three sisters out of hiding when new danger requires them to save the world once more. The live-action reboot follows a less successful Powerpuff Girls cartoon reboot, which aired on Cartoon Network from 2016 until 2019. The show, aimed at young audiences, faced some controversy both for the inclusion of a fourth Powerpuff Girl that some viewers saw as a harmful stereotype of black women and an unintentional mishandling of transgender issues. The CW reboot plans to take an entirely different route, reintroducing the Powerpuff Girls as young adults – here’s how the new cast compares to their cartoon counterparts.
Dove Cameron as Bubbles
Dove Cameron, who is set to play Bubbles, is known for her roles in Disney properties such as the Descendants movies and TV series Liv and Maddie. She also appeared alongside Powerpuff Girls co-star Chloe Bennet in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Cameron shares Bubbles’ blonde hair and blue eyes from the original cartoon and can certainly draw on her Disney roots to portray Bubbles’ happy-go-lucky attitude. It will be interesting to see if the reboot introduces some darkness to Bubbles, which audiences may have seen in Cameron’s portrayal of her character Ruby in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. With Diablo Cody (of Jennifer’s Body fame) on board for the pilot, it certainly seems like a possibility.
Chloe Bennet as Blossom
While Chloe Bennet doesn’t often sport Blossom’s signature red hair, she certainly has the chops to play the leader of the Powerpuff Girls. Best known for her portrayal of Daisy “Skye” Johnson in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Bennet is no stranger to the superhero genre. Daisy Johnson, also known as Quake, has gone through many complicated character arcs (including a face-off with Dove Cameron’s character Ruby), and Bennet’s acting skills span a wide range of emotional circumstances. While the character of Quake may be a little more serious than one might expect of a Powerpuff Girl, Bennet also spent some time as a pop singer, an experience that will lend itself well to Blossom’s upbeat attitude.
Yana Perrault as Buttercup
Yana Perrault is new to the TV world, but is no stranger to the stage. Perrault previously appeared on Broadway in Jagged Little Pill, a musical inspired by the music of Alanis Morisette. Like castmate Chloe Bennet, Perrault is a musician, and it will be interesting to see if the live-action Powerpuff Girls will follow the CW trend of blending music into the show. The network seems fond of this trope, and it can be seen in CW hits such as Riverdale, Supergirl, and The Flash, and most recently, Legacies' "Salvatore: The Musical!" Buttercup, often known as the edgiest Powerpuff Girl, can certainly benefit from some of the gritty themes confronted in Jagged Little Pill, and Perrault will surely bring a fascinating nuance to the character, if not a little musical acuity.