Hulu’s endearing yet subtly thin comedy, “Chad Powers”, emerges as a charming reinterpretation of numerous familiar themes. The core storyline—a lighthearted gag nestled within the high-stakes world of football—mirrors the highly successful format of Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso.” For Glen Powell, who stars in and co-created “Chad Powers,” this series marks a return to a character driven by an external transformation that mirrors internal change, following his role in the Netflix film “Hit Man.” In that film, Powell’s character, a meek professor, adopts the persona of contract killers as part of an elaborate ruse, reflecting his deep personal struggles.
While “Chad Powers” does not fully showcase Powell’s acting breadth as “Hit Man” did, it similarly falters when compared to the way “Ted Lasso” cleverly evolved its initial premise throughout its seasons. With this new series, Powell continues his ascent in Hollywood, solidifying his star power after being mentored by Tom Cruise. Returning to live-action television for the first time in ten years after making waves in Ryan Murphy’s horror comedy “Scream Queens,” Powell firmly secures his standing at the top of the call sheet with “Chad Powers,” even if this portrayal may not linger in the public’s memory as a defining role.
The Chad Powers character originally came to life through Eli Manning, the retired New York Giants quarterback who donned an outrageous disguise to prank as a walk-on candidate for Penn State in a viral sketch featured on his ESPN show alongside brother Peyton. With the Mannings executive producing via their Omaha Productions, Powell and co-creator Michael Waldron—showrunner for “Loki”—have crafted a more convincing narrative. Their version follows Russ Holliday, a former college athlete whose career ended in embarrassment. Now a Z-list celebrity peddling crypto and parked in a Cybertruck, Russ’s quest for redemption leads him to create the Chad Powers character—a throwback to “Mrs. Doubtfire.”
One of the more intriguing aspects of Russ’s transformation into Chad is his relationship with his father, Mike (played by the talented Toby Huss), a Hollywood makeup artist whose skills Russ employs to facilitate his disguise. However, despite this dynamic’s potential, their relationship doesn’t receive the depth it deserves within the show’s hurried narrative. Once on campus and under the guidance of head coach Jake Hudson (Steve Zahn), Chad forges an alliance with team mascot Danny (Frankie A. Rodriguez), who recognizes Russ and offers to assist in his escapade, while also engaging in an evolving flirtation with Jake’s ambitious daughter, Ricky (Perry Mattfeld). Yet, these relationships develop under the pressure of a limited episode count, which often restricts the characters’ growth to comic beats rather than natural evolution.
Chad, who requires a significant commitment from Powell in both performance and makeup—handled by Alexei Dmitriew—embodies a drastically different persona from Russ. He’s painted as a kinder and gentler version, albeit with traits and behaviors that often lead to bizarre situations, including a coach’s observation that Chad might suffer from a concussion-related condition, a darker joke than those typically found in the series. As Danny advises Russ—whose own identity begins to blur with that of Chad’s—to present as a “likeable leader,” the character’s development feels forced rather than organic.
However, the exaggeration of Chad’s character often overshadows the more sincere storylines, making the narrative struggle to resonate on a deeper level. While “Chad Powers” delivers plenty of laughs at its titular character’s expense through absurd situations and outrageous claims, these comedic elements don’t always align smoothly with other storylines, such as Jake’s more grounded domestic issues. Ultimately, “Chad Powers” evolves beyond a mere sketch but fails to transition entirely into a full-fledged series in its current structure.
New episodes of “Chad Powers” are now available to stream on Hulu, with fresh episodes released weekly every Tuesday.
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