Every once in a while, Hollywood takes a sketch—one silly, almost throwaway gag—and stretches it into something larger, riskier, maybe even absurd. Chad Powers is that gamble. Hulu just released the full trailer for the half-hour sports comedy, and it's hard to look away. Release is set for September 30, 2025, and yes, Glen Powell is the quarterback in disguise.
The premise reads like satire: when hotshot QB Russ Holliday implodes his college career through reckless behavior, he transforms himself—prosthetics, attitude, the whole deal—into the affable everyman “Chad Powers.” It's not just a new identity; it's a lifeline. He sneaks his way onto a struggling Southern football team, suddenly becoming both the joke and the secret weapon.
What makes this trailer pop isn't just the football montages or the expected comedy beats. It's Powell himself—playing both Russ Holliday and his alter ego with the kind of smug charm that feels one bad decision away from collapsing. There's a whiff of cult comedy DNA here, something between Eastbound & Down and American Vandal, but polished with ESPN gloss.
Behind the absurdity is a creative team that knows exactly what they're doing. Powell co-created and co-wrote the series alongside Michael Waldron (Loki, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). Directors Payman Benz and Tony Yacenda (American Vandal, Players) bring mockumentary timing to the gridiron. And yes, Eli Manning himself has his fingerprints on this through Omaha Productions. The project actually began as an NFL Films sketch for ESPN+'s Eli's Places, which now feels like the blueprint for this bigger, stranger beast.
There's also a fascinating collision of tones in the footage. One second it's slapstick—Powell running drills in an unconvincing wig. The next, it veers toward genuine sports-drama sentiment, with Coach Byrd (Quentin Plair) desperate for a turnaround season. Steve Zahn pops up, Perry Mattfeld grounds the chaos, and suddenly you're not sure if you're laughing at the disguise or rooting for the underdog team. Maybe both. Gorgeous. Grating. Gorgeous again.
And let's be honest—the prosthetics look deliberately off. Not unconvincing enough to break the illusion, but uncanny enough to feel funny every time he smirks. Everyone in this trailer looks like they're sweating through a late-summer scrimmage, which makes me wonder: did they actually shoot in the kind of heatwave that fries turf at 110°F?
What's clear is that Powell is swinging big here. He's producing through Barnstorm Productions, writing, acting, promoting—the whole nine yards. It's the kind of move that could fall apart under lesser hands. But the trailer suggests he knows how to toe the line between parody and earnestness. That tension—mocking sports clichés while still honoring their emotional hooks—is where Chad Powers might actually score.
What You Should Know Before Streaming Chad Powers
Powell in full control – Star, co-creator, writer, producer. This is as much Powell's series as it is Hulu's.
From sketch to series – Born from an NFL Films bit on ESPN+'s Eli's Places, now expanded into a full scripted comedy.
Release confirmed – All episodes land on September 30, 2025, exclusively on Hulu.
Football meets farce – A blend of gridiron sincerity and ridiculous alter-ego antics.
Strong comedy DNA – Writers and directors with ties to Loki, American Vandal, and Players are shaping the tone.
So, is Chad Powers destined to be another disposable sports spoof—or Powell's strangest and sharpest gamble yet? I'll be watching come September, prosthetics and all. Will you?
