The CW pulls the plug on Powerpuff Girls, Arrowverse spinoff and other projects

The CW network has decided to cancel several projects that were in development prior to the Nexstar takeover, including the live-action reboot of The Powerpuff Girls.

According to a report by TVLine, The CW confirmed that Powerpuff, the adult-oriented live-action adaptation of Cartoon Network's The Powerpuff Girls, is no longer moving forward. The same fate befell other projects such as the Arrowverse spinoff Justice U led by David Ramsey, Robert Rodriguez's female-led Zorro series, and the Archie Comics adaptation Jake Chang. Brad Schwartz, The CW's President of Entertainment, stated that the network returned these projects to the studios, allowing them the freedom to pursue development and potential sales elsewhere.

The CW's Powerpuff Girls reboot, simply titled Powerpuff, received a pilot order in February 2021 after it was initially reported in August 2020. The show was set to star Chloe Bennett as Blossom, Dove Cameron as Bubbles, Yana Perrault as Buttercup, and Donald Faison as Professor Utonium. However, in May 2021, it was revealed that the pilot had not been ordered to a series, although The CW planned to make adjustments with the same creative team and cast. The leaked script of the pilot received negative feedback from fans of the original cartoon.


Additionally, in August 2021, it was announced that Chloe Bennett had exited the project. Despite these setbacks, the show was reported to be active in development at The CW as of July 2022.

Alongside the Powerpuff Girls reboot, The CW had also been developing Justice U, a DC series featuring Ramsey reprising his role as Diggle from Arrow. The show revolved around Diggle training a group of young meta-humans in a college setting.
Updates on the series were scarce, but Ramsey confirmed in October 2022 that Justice U was still in active development at The CW.

In January 2022, The CW acquired the rights to a female-led Zorro reboot series from Robert and Rebecca Rodriguez, which had previously been in development at NBC. Furthermore, The CW began developing Jake Chang, a live-action series centered around a new character from Archie Comics, in June 2022. Jake Chang would have been a standalone show separate from The CW's existing Archie Comics adaptation, Riverdale.

Changes in The CW

The CW has undergone changes and cancellations due to the acquisition of a 75 percent stake in the network by the Nexstar Media Group in 2022. The CBS Entertainment Group and WarnerMedia each now hold 12.5 percent ownership. As a result, The CW is expected to have a significantly reduced slate of original scripted dramas.

Currently, only All American and Walker have been renewed for new seasons. Walker: Independence, The Winchesters, and Kung Fu have been canceled. The Flash is airing its final season, while Riverdale is in its seventh and final season. Nancy Drew's fourth and final season is set to premiere at the end of this month. The future of potential renewals for All American: Homecoming, as well as the non-Arrowverse DC, shows Superman & Lois and Gotham Knights, remains uncertain.

FAQs

Q1:Is Powerpuff Girls coming to CW?
A live-action CW reboot, titled Powerpuff, was first announced in 2020. As per reports, the network has pulled the plug on the project.

Q2:Is Batman in Arrowverse?
Batman is one of the oldest vigilantes in the Arrowverse, having been active for at least 12 years.