Whilst it’s understandable that Glen Powell‘s rise to fame over the last few years has very much leant into his obvious sex appeal, you have to hand it to the actor for not always relying on it within his projects. Namely his latest effort, Chad Powers, a sports-themed comedy series that he and producer/writer Michael Waldron (who has extensive history with Marvel, having created Loki and shared writing credits on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday) bore from a character created by former professional quarterback Eli Manning for his show Eli’s Places; Manning himself earning an Executive Producer credit here.
Powell’s undeniable charm is in full effect across the six episode first-season of the show, and it’s a good thing it has him, too, as the show is surprisingly a little more cynical than some may be expecting. The titular Chad Powers is the fictitious creation of Russ Holliday (Powell, convincing in his bad boy temperament), an arrogant, narcissistic Oregon University quarterback, who nukes his promising career when an outburst of aggression towards a fan quite controversially escalates. Feeling sorry for himself and unsure what his prospects are going forward, a visit to his prosthetically-gifted father (Toby Huss) on the set of the new Michael Bay picture gives him a particularly outlandish idea that would only work in the world of entertainment; we ultimately have to thank Mrs. Doubtfire for it all too.
Hearing that the South Georgina University Catfish football team are conducting open tryouts off the back of their coach (Steve Zahn‘s Jake Hudson) losing his top players in the transfer portal, Russ believes he’s found his way back to a state of grace, by transforming his appearance and trying out incognito. It would appear that, as Chad Powers, in which Russ primarily alters his nose, teeth and hair, he believes he can restore Russ’s reputation. It’s not a fool-proof plan – which even the audience can see – and, thankfully, the multitude of screenwriters are all too aware of how idiotic this idea is, even if the likes of Jake, the assistant coaches (Clayne Crawford and Quentin Plair), and Hudson’s daughter, Ricky (Perry Mattfeld), are all blind to Chad’s unique appearance.
The only person in on the ruse is Danny (Frankie A. Rodriguez, a joy to watch), the Catfish mascot, who doesn’t really bat much of an eyelid at Russ’s scheme and is more than happy to assist in the deception. The alpha male mentality of Russ and the “gay best friend” archetype of Danny is a dynamic that doesn’t break new ground, but their pairing – which has its share of dramatic ups and downs – gives the show the bursts of levity and farcicality it needs; especially when some of the comedy starts heavily relying on “the R word”, which many presume Chad is, given the speech pattern Russ adopts when in character, as well as creating a wild backstory that only adds to his nonsensical personality. The show’s premise may suggest a Tootsie-like set-up, and whilst there are humorous moments to be had, those expecting full-blown laughs may best keep their expectations in check.
It all ultimately comes down to its final episode. Whether this has a second season planned is not yet known, but Chad Powers practically demands one. And not necessarily because it’s so rapturously funny that you want the shenanigans to continue, but that it ends on a truly interesting, rather bold note that goes against everything we expect from narratives that deal with characters and their wide web of deception. The way the show ends(?) is enough to stick with the five episodes that precede it, as, like me, you may be wondering why it never quite feels as exaggerated as it should (though Powell does have a lot of fun with the complicated simplicity of Chad), and it’s because the show commits to grounding itself in a manner that’s refreshingly, if disappointingly, pessimistic.
THREE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Chad Powers will premiere its first two episodes on Disney+ (international) and Hulu (United States) on September 30th, 2025, before each subsequent episode rolling out weekly, climaxing on October 28th.
