There’s no question that superheroes are a pervasive staple of our current media zeitgeist. Once relegated firmly to the comics that brought them life, these figures have finally burst onto screens both big and small. It’s now happening with such regularity, that films like Deadpool and Suicide Squad are finding incredible success in turning superhero tropes on their head. Enter Powerless, a series about the average people living in the world of DC comics superheroes and villains.
The pilot of Powerless was originally imagined (and filmed) as a series about insurance adjusters trying to run a business in this increasingly unstable environment, but following the departure of creator Ben Queen, it was reimagined to focus on a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises. The new goal of the starring cast members would be to design new technologies to help normal folk survive in a superpowered world.
Courtesy of NBC comes a new look at the series in what will likely be the show’s final form. The TV spot (see above) asks us to “Meet the Powerless Team!” In addition to the main members of the cast - Vanessa Hudgens (Sucker Punch), Danny Pudi (Community), Alan Tudyk (Moana), Ron Funches (Trolls) - we get a taste of the types of ridiculous gadgets the team will be designing at Wayne Security.
Considering DC’s various TV universes are spread across the CW and Fox, it’s unlikely (though not impossible) that NBC’s Powerless will somehow crossover with the worlds of the Arrowverse or Gotham. Perhaps the more immediate question will be whether or not the team’s boss Bruce Wayne (or his Batman alter-ego) will ever make an appearance in the series. Considering Wayne may have some ulterior motives for designing tech to protect “normal folks” from superpowered individuals, it will be interesting to see if the Powerless crew inadvertently design the next tech for The Batman to use in his arsenal.
At this point, it may be a bit difficult to see how the concept could play out over multiple seasons, but the show has no shortage of beloved comedic talent. If the writing is good enough, the superhero slant may be incidental to what is otherwise an exceptional workplace sitcom.
How do you feel about what you’ve seen of Powerless so far? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned to Screen Rant for updates on all of DC’s tv catalog as they hit.
Powerless will premiere on NBC on Thursday, February 2nd @ 8:30pm ET/PT.
Source: NBC
