Even after their wave of renewals, the CW is preparing a slew of new series for the 2021-22 series.
The network has ordered pilots for a live-action version of the popular Powerpuff Girls animated series and one based on DC Comics’ Naomi.
Also, the network ordered direct-to-series a reboot of the cult sci-fi series The 4400.
Powerpuff Girls fly again
Debuting in 1998, The Powerpuff Girls has been a beloved cartoon series of three super-powered pint-sized girls protecting their city from monstrous threats.
The series saw a big-screen movie as well as a 2016 Netflix reboot. Plans for a live-action version were announced in August of 2020.
The reboot will be helmed by Oscar-winning writer/director Diablo Cody and Heather Regnier (Veronica Mars, Sleepy Hollow) and produced by Greg Berlanti.
This new version will be a departure from the kid-friendly original material. Rather than focusing on Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup as kids, the show updates them for a CW audience.
Per the press release, the “Girls” are now twentysomethings who resent the childhood they lost fighting crime but must reunite against a new threat.
Much as Riverdale and Nancy Drew changed their classic characters for the CW, this show will shift the Powerpuff mythos for a new generation.
Obviously, the idea of the Powerpuff trio as angsty young adults is jarring to fans yet also opens the potential for the CW’s unique dramedy, especially with Cody’s trademark humor involved.
Naomi joins the Arrowverse
Naomi is based on the acclaimed comic book character created by Brian Michael Bendis and will star in her own TV series from writer/director Ava DuVernay.
She is the super-powered heroine of an alternate Earth who flees the destruction of her home reality.
Given the Arrowverse has established the existence of multiple Earths, Naomi’s origns would fit in well.
The show puts a spin on the concept with “a teen girl’s journey from her small northwestern town to the heights of the multiverse. When a supernatural event shakes her hometown to the core, Naomi sets out to uncover its origins, and what she discovers will challenge everything we believe about our heroes.”
With Supergirl ending following its sixth season, the CW may have found a proper substitute with this powerful female character.
The 4400 revives a cult favorite
Originally airing on the USA Network from 2004 to 2007, The 4400 referenced several people who vanished over decades suddenly returned to Earth with no signs of aging.
These abductees realize they now possess super-human abilities and decide whether to use them for good or evil. Meanwhile, a government agency tries to determine who was behind their disappearances and why they have returned.
The original series featured a breakout role for future Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, who will play Blade in the MCU.
The show garnered a loyal cult audience over its four-season run. It was canceled on a cliffhanger ending with talks of a sequel series for several years. This will be a total reboot, written by Riverdale’s Arina Jackson.
The new series description looks to keep the show’s original concept with the promise of some CW-style twists. It’s been ordered right to series, showing the CW has great faith in this joining their line of successful shows.
While The 4400 will for sure join the CW, the fates of Powerpuff and Naomi rest on how well their pilots perform.