Hulu has given audiences a first glimpse of Glen Powell in his latest role as the titular character in the upcoming comedy series Chad Powers. The streaming platform's reveal has already sparked significant buzz, particularly due to Powell's striking transformation for the role.
Known for his charming and versatile on-screen presence, Powell has taken on the challenge of portraying Russ Holliday, a once-promising college quarterback whose career spirals due to his own reckless behavior. In a bid to get back into the game, Holliday reinvents himself as Chad Powers and joins a struggling Southern football team, a storyline that blends humor with sports drama. A first look at Powell in the role can be seen below, per Variety.
Powell’s physical transformation for the role is particularly notable. In the first-look image released by Hulu, he is nearly unrecognizable, sporting a shaggy wig, a thin mustache, and what appears to be a prosthetic nose. This drastic change has been highlighted as a testament to Powell's dedication to his craft, as he fully embodies the character of Chad Powers. The actor shared this image on social media, expressing his excitement for the project, and even humorously acknowledged the challenge of living up to Manning's original portrayal.
The series, co-created by Powell and Michael Waldron, is inspired by a 2022 sketch from Eli Manning's Eli's Places, where Manning himself went undercover as Chad Powers during Penn State Football's walk-on tryouts. The adaptation of this concept into a full-fledged comedy series has brought together an impressive team, including NFL icons Eli and Peyton Manning, who serve as executive producers. They are joined by Jamie Horowitz, Ben Brown, and ESPN, with Adam Fasullo producing for Anomaly Pictures.
The cast of Chad Powers features a strong lineup, including Steve Zahn, Perry Mattfeld, Wynn Everett, and Quentin Plair. Zahn is set to play Jake Hudson, while Plair will portray Coach Byrd, adding depth to the series with their performances. Tony Yacenda, known for his work on American Vandal, directed the pilot episode, bringing his unique comedic style to the series.
Powell's involvement in Chad Powers continues his successful trajectory in Hollywood, where he has steadily risen to prominence. Following his roles in the 2024 blockbusters Twisters and Hit Man, Powell's ability to switch between genres has been widely praised. His performance in Twisters, alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones, was a summer highlight, while his role in the dark comedy Hit Man further solidified his status as a versatile leading man.
Chad Powers is set to deliver a blend of humor and heart, with Powell’s transformation at its center. The upcoming series is yet to get a release date or official trailer.
Glen Powell’s Transformation in Chad Powers
With recent starring roles in disaster movie blockbuster Twisters, cool-as-you-like Richard Linklater joint Hit Man, and Sydney Sweeney rom-com Anyone But You, Glen Powell is one of the most instantly recognisable stars in Hollywood right now. And yet, in the first image from his upcoming co-written, co-created, and self-starring half-hour college football comedy series Chad Powers, Powell is virtually unrecognisable (and not in a Leonardo DiCaprio actually-very-recognisable Killers Of The Flower Moon way either.) Check out the full transformational shot of Powell below:
It's as if Tom Cruise and David Arquette were somehow merged together in a lab, ain't it? Based on the eponymous sketch character from Eli Manning's ESPN+ docuseries Eli's Place, in which the NFL legend donned a tonne of prosthetics to fool some unsuspecting college football hopefuls, Chad Powers — an eight-episode, half-hour Hulu comedy co-written by Powell and MCU alum Michael Waldron — will see Powell play a quarterback who goes to extreme lengths to get his career back on track. Or, as the official to-the-point logline reads: “When bad behavior nukes hotshot QB Russ Holliday’s college career, he disguises himself and walks onto a struggling Southern football team as the talented, affable Chad Powers.”
Chad Powers’ Potential Success
Having dabbled in disguises before with the aforementioned Hit Man, and played a college student in Linklater's Everybody Wants Some!!, Powell — a self-professed diehard college football fan — is well placed to lead Chad Powers. And with more high profile roles in films like Edgar Wright's The Running Man and J.J. Abrams' secret new blockbuster looming on Powell's horizon, a low-stakes comedy with a broadly _Ted Lasso_ian origin (ie, a sports sketch character given the full series treatment) will be an exciting change of pace for the in-demand Top Gun: Maverick breakout.
Will Chad Powers Be a Touchdown for Powell?
Will Chad Powers be another touchdown for Powell? Or will his and Michael Waldron's Hulu-bound comedy fall apart in the end zone? With the series' production well underway, it doesn't look like we'll be having to wait too long to find out either way. Think fast, run fast!
