“Chad Powers”: All About the Sports Comedy Starring Glen Powell

From the cast to the plot, here’s what we know so far about 'Chad Powers', the upcoming comedy series starring Glen Powell

Known for his charismatic performances in Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters, Glen Powell is embracing a total transformation for his new character in the upcoming Hulu comedy, Chad Powers.

Powell will be playing Russ Holliday, a former hotshot college quarterback desperate for a second chance after he blew up his career with misbehavior. The series follows Holliday as he adopts a new identity, Chad Powers, and attempts to revive his football career by joining a struggling team.

The show is inspired by Eli Manning’s character of the same name for his ESPN docuseries Eli’s Places, where the NFL star went undercover at Penn State's football tryouts.

In a first look of the series, shared in a joint Instagram post with ESPN, Powell, Omaha Productions and the official Chad Powers account, the actor is sporting a shaggy hairstyle, a thin mustache and a prosthetic nose. Powell’s transformation is shown in a carousel of clips of the original Chad Powers stunt pulled by Manning, as well as a picture of their respective undercover makeovers side-by-side.

Now, Powell is bringing that character to life in a full-fledged series, co-led by Loki creator Michael Waldron. Powell not only stars in the series but also serves as an executive producer alongside Eli and his brother Peyton Manning.

From the plot to the cast, here’s everything we know so far about Chad Powers, the upcoming sports comedy starring Glenn Powell.

What is Chad Powers about?

Chad Powers tells the story of Holliday, a once-promising quarterback whose bad behavior derails his college football career. Eager for a second chance, he disguises himself as Powers and walks onto a floundering football team.

The official description reads: “When bad behavior nukes hotshot QB Russ Holliday’s (Powell) college career, he disguises himself and walks onto a struggling Southern football team as the talented, affable Chad Powers.”

Is Chad Powers a true story?

The show is inspired by Manning’s 2022 Eli’s Places episode, in which Manning, who wanted to learn more about the college walk-on process, went undercover at Penn State football walk-on tryouts and assumed the role of Chad Powers.

To carry out the stunt, Manning hired a team of Hollywood makeup artists and underwent a transformation not so dissimilar from Powell’s. The former NFL quarterback donned a wig, mustache and facial prosthetics.

After the makeover, Manning jokingly looked in the mirror and practiced introducing himself as Chad Powers.

At the end of the walk-ons, the coach told the athletes that he did some background checks and “one of the guys has been disqualified,” adding that his “testing numbers were awful," at which point the cameras shot to Manning looking devastated. “On top of that,” the coach continued, “We found out he was ineligible.”

Manning then stood in front of the other competing athletes and said, “I’m sorry,” as he began to take off his wig and prosthetics.

“I’m just a 41-year-old who just wants to play ball,” he said. “I’m just trying to get back out there.”

The men began to laugh and show visible shock at Manning’s reveal. He then said how much he enjoyed playing with the college students that day.

“I appreciate you letting me try out with y’all,” Manning said, adding that it was “a lot of fun.”

Who is in the Chad Powers cast?

Powell will lead the cast as Holliday. Joining him are series stars Steve Zahn, Toby Huss, Perry Mattfeld, Wynn Everett, Frankie A. Rodriguez and Quentin Plair.

When will Chad Powers be released?

Hulu has not announced an official release date for Chad Powers. However, filming began in August 2024, evidenced by the show’s official Instagram account, which posted a picture of a clapperboard with the caption, “First day on set,” along with a football emoji.

Who is directing Chad Powers?

The pilot episode of Chad Powers was directed by Tony Yacenda, creator of the Netflix mockumentary series American Vandal. However, whether Yacenda will direct more episodes or someone else will take the helm for the rest of the series has yet to be announced.

The series is co-created by Powell and Waldron, with both serving as executive producers. Waldron is known for his work on Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, bringing a mix of humor and genre-savvy storytelling to the project.

Additionally, Eli and Peyton are also executive producers on the projects, continuing the legacy of Eli’s fictional character.

“The love for Chad Powers has surprised me in spectacular ways,” Eli said in a February 2024 statement, per Deadline. “I’m so excited to team up with my friends Glen Powell, Michael Waldron and Omaha Productions to continue to tell the Chad Powers story and see what he does next.”

What has Glen Powell said about Chad Powers?

Powell has expressed his excitement about taking on the role of Powers, a character initially brought to life by Eli. During an appearance on The Eli Manning Show in May 2024, the NFL star joked about the reality of someone else assuming the fictional role of Powers.

"I don't know if I like you playing Chad Powers," Eli joked. "Like, I'm Chad Powers."

“Look, I'm not gonna try to outdo you, I'm really gonna try to honor your legacy, but this is what I do," Powell said.

Powell and Waldron shared their enthusiasm for the project in a joint February 2024 statement to Deadline.

"We're both diehard college football fans," the two said. "When we saw Eli as Chad Powers, we knew that was the way into a big, fun story about this world. We're excited to be part of this team, and can't wait to get Chad in the game. Think fast, run fast."

Where can I watch Chad Powers?

Chad Powers will be available for streaming exclusively on Hulu.

Is there a trailer for Chad Powers?

There is no official trailer for Chad Powers yet. 

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