Chad Powers is coming (back) to the small screen.
The character created by Eli Manning will be the basis of a new Hulu series starring Hollywood star Glen Powell, it was announced Thursday.
Powers first appeared on national television screens as part of an episode of the documentary series “Eli’s Place,” in which the former Giants quarterback disguises himself and takes on a new name to become a member of the Penn State football team. That’s when I tried.
The sketch was a huge hit when it first aired in September 2022, and now Hulu is looking to capitalize on its success with a broader series.
According to the program description Variety reported“When bad behavior ruins the college career of up-and-coming QB Russ Holliday (Powell), he disguises himself and joins a struggling Southern football team as the talented and affable Chad Powers. I stepped on it.”
Powell quickly became a Hollywood heavyweight after co-starring with Sidney Sweeney in the recently released romantic comedy “Anyone But You,” and is set to star in the upcoming summer blockbuster “Twisters.”
Powell will co-produce and co-write the 30-minute series with Loki series creator Michael Waldron.
“We are both avid college football fans,” Powell and Waldron said in a joint statement. “When we saw Eli as Chad Powers, we knew this was the path to a big, fun story about this world. I can’t wait to get involved. Think fast, run fast.”
Manning said in a statement that he was surprised that Powers’ character resonated with football fans, saying, “It’s not uncommon for fans to yell, ‘Hey, Chad!'”
The release date of Hulu’s new series has not been determined.
Powell’s southern charm and charisma have compared him to Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey, and in the original sketch starring Manning, his appearance had a very McConaughey-like personality.
Powell sported a similar look when he played Finnigan in the 2016 film Everybody Wants Some.
The Hollywood star also showed off his QB skills in his role as Lieutenant Jake “Hangman” Seresin in the movie Top Gun: Maverick.
However, Manning wasn’t too impressed with what he saw in the 2022 blockbuster.
“I hope Glenn is developing his QB skills. I saw him throwing the football at Maverick…he has some work to do!!” Manning wrote about X.
Hulu is somewhat similar to how Apple adopted the “Ted Lasso” character from NBC’s 2013 promotional material promoting NBC’s Premier League soccer coverage in 2019 and built an entire show around it. Seems to be following the strategy.
“Ted Lasso” became a hit on streaming services.
