Chad Powers
| Chad Powers | |
|---|---|
 Promotional Cover (Hulu) | |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Created by | Glen Powell & Michael Waldron |
| Based on | Eli's Places Segment by |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Natalie Holt |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 2 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Alex Orr |
| Cinematography | Mark Schwartzbard |
| Editor | Patrick Tuck |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Hulu |
| Release | September 30, 2025 – present |
Chad Powers is an American sports comedy television series created by Glen Powell and Michael Waldron, starring Powell in the titular role. Developed from a Omaha Productions skit by Eli Manning, the show follows Powers after he disgraces himself on the field while serving as a star quarterback at a major college program.[1] After ruining his reputation, Powers undergoes a physical transformation, with the help of prosthetics and a wig, to disguise his identity in order to join the floundering football team at a small school.
The cast includes Steve Zahn, Toby Huss, Perry Mattfeld, Clayne Crawford, Wynn Everett, Frankie A. Rodriguez, Colton Ryan, Keese Wilson, Xavier Mills and Quentin Plair. It premiered on Hulu on September 30, 2025.
Cast
[edit]Main
[edit]- Glen Powell as Russ Holliday, formerly an arrogant, narcissistic college football quarterback whose career has been nuked after disgracing himself in a championship game. He disguises himself as the titular Chad Powers to start over as a walk-on player for a college team.[2]
- Perry Mattfeld as Ricky Hudson, an assistant coach of the South Georgia Catfish and daughter of Jake
- Quentin Plair as Coach Byrd
- Wynn Everett as Tricia,[2] the chair of the booster trust
- Frankie Rodriguez as Danny
- Steve Zahn as Jake Hudson, head coach of the South Georgia Catfish
Guest stars
[edit]- Toby Huss as Mike Holliday
- Clayne Crawford as Scott Dobbs, the quarterback coach of the South Georgia Catfish
- Colton Ryan as Gerry Dougan
- Keese Wilson as Rod Mason
- Xavier Mills as Nishan Leonard
- Kevin Trainor as Press Conference Moderator
Episodes
[edit]| No. | Title [3] | Directed by | Written by [4] | Original release date [3] | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "1st Quarter" | Tony Yacenda | Glen Powell & Michael Waldron | September 30, 2025 | 1NJK01 |
|
Russ Holiday rushes to a touchdown as a star collegiate quarterback. He inadvertently drops the ball before the end zone, however, leading the opposing team to grab the ball and win the championship game. A distraught Russ gets into an altercation with a fan on the sidelines, tipping over the fan who is a boy in a wheelchair who has cancer. Eight years later, his reputation ruined, Russ leads a free-wheeling life but desires to get back into athletics. He takes materials from his father, who works in makeup and prosthetics, to disguise his identity while trying out for the football team of a small college in Georgia. Danny, who plays the team's mascot (a catfish), offers to help Russ with the ruse. Russ impresses the coaches, and he briefly connects with Ricky, an assistant coach and daughter of the head coach, Jake Hudson. Russ admits that he isn't enrolled after being offered a spot, but the coach tells him to comes back and register with his birth certificate, driver's license, and transcripts. | |||||
| 2 | "2nd Quarter" | Tony Yacenda | Michael Waldron & Paloma Lamb | September 30, 2025 | 1NJK02 |
|
Chad obtains a fake id with the help of Danny. On the team, he is competing against the earnest and friendly Gerry for the position of starting quarterback. Coach Hudson tells Chad to show leadership and invites him to a team barbecue at his house. A pool party and water balloon fight ensure, posing a risk for Chad's disguise. Meanwhile, Ricky is embarrassed about being seen as the coach's daughter. Chad receives the news that Hudson has chosen Gerry as the starter. | |||||
| 3 | "3rd Quarter" | TBA | Jamie Lee | October 7, 2025 | TBA |
| 4 | "4th Quarter" | TBA | Ben Dougan | October 14, 2025 | TBA |
| 5 | "5th Quarter" | TBA | Jordan Mendoza | October 21, 2025 | TBA |
| 6 | "6th Quarter" | TBA | Luvh Rakhe & Gaelyn Golde | October 28, 2025 | TBA |
Tony Yacenda directed episodes of the series.[5]
Production
[edit]The series, created by Glen Powell and Michael Waldron, received a series order at Hulu in February 2024. The series is based on Eli Manning's character created for Eli's Places.[2] Eli and Peyton Manning were involved in the creation of the show, including helping to secure football arenas and paraphernalia for filming.[1] They also advised Powell on how to convincingly portray a star quarterback. Filming had begun by late August 2024.[6] Natalie Holt composed the score for the series.[7] Patrick Tuck served as an editor.[5]
Release
[edit]The series premiered on Hulu on September 30, 2025, with the first two episodes available immediately and the rest debuting on a weekly basis.[8]
Reception
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 54% based on 28 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Pairing Glen Powell's charms with a frequently off-putting role, Chad Powers throws comedic curveballs that often backfire but don't necessarily strike out, either."[9] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gave a score of 54 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average".[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Morgan, Emmanuel (September 29, 2025). "With 'Chad Powers,' Eli Manning Goes Hollywood". The New York Times. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- ^ a b c Otterson, Joe (August 22, 2024). "Glen Powell Transforms Into College Football Player in 'Chad Powers' First Look". Variety. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ a b "Shows A-Z – Chad Powers on Hulu". The Futon Critic. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ^ "Chad Powers". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ a b "Patrick Tuck Resume" (PDF). Murtha Skouras Agency. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
- ^ Tinoco, Armando (August 22, 2024). "'Chad Powers': First Look At Glen Powell In Hulu Comedy Series Based On Eli Manning Sketch". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ "Natalie Holt Scoring Hulu's 'Chad Powers'". Film Music Reporter. December 28, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
- ^ Cordero, Rosy (May 13, 2025). "Glen Powell-Starrer 'Chad Powers' Sets Hulu Premiere Date". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ "Chad Powers: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
- ^ "Chad Powers: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
