NBC is joining the superhero game in their own peculiar way with Powerless, a comedy about…well, about the regular people who inhabit a superhero world. Like the tagline says: “It’s a superhero world. We just live in it.”
The cast was on hand at San Diego Comic-Con to screen the pilot episode (which we loved), and talk a little bit about what it’s like to present such a different product and make it fit into the DCTV-verse.
Here’s five things we learned from the Powerless panel at SDCC:
1. Ron Funches is joining the cast
And he’ll be playing, you guessed it, a character called Ron, described as a “a sweet and innocent I.T. guy who, unlike his co-workers, has not lost his childlike enthusiasm for all things Super Hero”
2. There’ll be Easter eggs galore.
Fans of DC can rest easy, for the show is going to be filled with Easter eggs. The pilot itself is filled with them, among them an appearance by Big Belly Burger that ties Charm City, the place where Powerless is set, to the DCTV Universe where Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow exist.
3. Emily’s got “balls”
Or so Vanessa Hudgnes says, and after watching the pilot, we’re gonna have to agree with her. After all, Emily is the unlikely hero in this workplace comedy about …well, dealing with superheroes. In a way, Emily’s there to show us that you don’t need superpowers to be a hero. You just need to be as talented as Vanessa Hudgens.
4. Teddy is not Abed
Danny Pudi plays Teddy, and after so many years of playing Abed in Community, the question of how similar the characters were had to be asked. And we’re happy to report that …not so much. Teddy is not a re-imagining of another character, he’s his own person, and we’re going to enjoy getting to know him.
5. Del Heller is a tool
He might also be a douche-bag. Mostly, he’s a guy who finds himself being the boss and has no idea how to be the boss, has no idea how to read social cues and has no idea how to interact with his subordinates. And that’s what makes him hilarious.
Excited for Powerless? We are! Share your expectations on the comments below!
Powerless premieres mid-season on NBC.