The Time Glen Powell’s Chad Powers Co-Creator Said People Would Think The Premise Is ‘A Piece Of S–t,’ And Why He Was OK With That

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After last year’s summer movie season, it seemed like Glen Powell was a certified movie star. Anyone but You was a rare rom-com hit at the box office, Hit Man did solid numbers on streaming, and Twisters seemed to affirm the Texas-born actor as one of Hollywood’s most exciting leading men. Everyone was wondering what Powell would do next. When it was announced that it would be a streaming show called Chad Powers with a silly premise, there were a lot of naysayers. However, according to one of the co-creators of the show, this is what made the venture so exciting.

In a recent profile for GQ, Powell opened up about his growing status in Hollywood, as well as his upcoming projects like Chad Powers. The premise is strange, as it follows a former college athlete whose career is failing, so he decides to disguise himself so he can walk on to another college football team. The show even compares itself to a Mrs. Doubtfire in the trailers for Chad Powers.

On the surface, this seems like a bad idea, and co-creator Michael Waldron said that is a similar attitude they got from studios when they first pitched the idea. His reaction:

I think that this is probably going to be a piece of shit.

Admittedly, I kind of understand the initial negative reaction. Mrs. Doubtfire, which has a similar plot device, barely works, and it only became a classic despite its strangeness because of the magic of Robin Williams. Also, part of the selling point of a Glen Powell project is, well, Glen Powell. It’s tough to sell an upcoming TV show if the selling point is disguised as someone else throughout most of the runtime. The whole thing sounds odd and quite risky. It feels like a miracle that it made it on the 2025 TV premiere lineup.

While some may think negative feedback was a deterrent for Waldron and Powell, they actually found the negativity to be quite motivating and a positive omen for the show. Because the premise is so strange, and based off of a viral 2022 ESPN sketch featuring Eli Manning, the fact that the duo were able to find a grounded story from it was actually encouraging. They felt that it spoke to their creativity and their skills as storytellers. Waldron told the publication:

To me, that was kind of one of the advantages of the show. How on earth could they make something compelling out of this?

With such confidence invested in the project, I’m very interested to check out the show. So far, Powell’s taste has been strong, picking projects that are unique with strong creative voices behind them. His upcoming film, Edgar Wright’s Running Man, is no exception to this pattern, and the movie star is also set to lead J.J. Abrams’ next blockbuster. The 36-year-old is undoubtedly in high demand, and for him to put his all into something with such a kooky premise, tells me that Chad Powers is something special.

You can check out Chad Powers for yourself when it becomes available with a Hulu subscription on September 30th, 2025. Fans should also see Glen Powell in Running Man, which hits theaters on November 7th, and is one of the most exciting titles on the 2025 movie release schedule.