The Powerpuff Girls: Donald Faison Joins Pilot as Prof. Drake Utonium

With The CW’s The Powerpuff Girls welcoming Chloe Bennet (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Dove Cameron (Liv and Maddie), and Yana Perrault (Jagged Little Pill) aboard the live-action pilot earlier this month, it was only a matter of time until viewers learned who would be stepping into the role of their father/creator. On Tuesday, we learned Scrubs star Donald Faison would be joining the cast as Professor Drake Utonium. The modern take on the popular cartoon finds the pint-sized superteam now disillusioned twentysomethings who resent having lost their childhood to crime-fighting. Will they agree to reunite now that the world needs them more than ever? Quirky, debonair, and a pinch narcissistic, Faison’s Utonium is a scientific genius who is immensely proud of the three extraordinary girls he created in his lab. Staring down a midlife crisis, he is determined to repair his relationships with his now-adult daughters.

Bennet’s Blossom was once the spunky, conscientious, Little-Miss-Perfect child who holds several advanced degrees, but repressed kiddie-superhero trauma has left her feeling anxious and reclusive. Blossom aims to become a leader again- this time on her own terms. Cameron’s Bubbles had a sweet-girl disposition that won America’s hearts as a child. While still sparkling as an adult, her charming exterior belies an unexpected toughness and wit. She’s initially more interested in recapturing her fame than saving the world, but she just might surprise us- and herself. Perrault’s Buttercup was the rebellious badass of The Powerpuff Girls in its heyday. More sensitive than her tough exterior suggests, Buttercup spent her adulthood stepping away from her Powerpuff Girl identity and looking to live an anonymous life. Quirky, debonair, and a pinch narcissistic, Faison’s Professor Drake Utonium is a scientific genius who is immensely proud of the three extraordinary girls he created in his lab. Staring down a midlife crisis, he is determined to repair his relationships with his now-adult daughters.

Based on the Cartoon Network animated series of the same name created by Craig McCracken, the live-action pilot will be written and executive produced by Diablo Cody and Heather Regnier. Executive produced by Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and David Madden with Erika Kennair producing, Maggie Kiley will direct and executive produce the pilot, with Warner Bros. Television producing.