Audiences got to see Glen Powell take on a number of different personas as an undercover detective in Hit Man a couple of years ago, and now he’s taking his powers of disguise to the football field. Chad Powers, which premieres on the 2025 TV schedule on September 30, stars Powell as Russ Holliday, who must change his identity to join a college football team after a previous on-field mishap. Critics have screened the series ahead of its release, so is it worth checking out?
Chad Powers is based on Eli Manning’s character from ESPN+’s Eli’s Places, and the ex-QB was heavily involved in the series (which can be streamed with a Hulu subscription). It’s not hard to see why people are trying to liken it to Ted Lasso, but is it worthy of such comparisons? Kristen Baldwin of EW thinks not, writing that the short season and emphasis on silliness results in no character growth and an abrupt finale. She gives the series a C- and says:
Ben Travers of IndieWire also rates it a C-, saying Chad Powers is all disguise and no character. The Hulu series hides its leading man behind prosthetics and shallow, redundant jokes, the critic says, writing:
Meredith Hobbs Coons of AV Club gives it a D, calling the series “one hell of a fumble” for Glen Powell’s career. There’s nothing fun about Chad Powell, the critic says, writing that the show “is mean as shit. And it doesn’t even have the decency to be funny about it.” In her words:
However, not all of the critics feel so slighted by the series. Belen Edwards of Mashable says Glen Powell proves his comedic prowess in Chad Powers, and the series’ biggest sin is that there are only six episodes. Edwards continues:
William Goodman of The Wrap says the show is “sincere, strange, and funner” than he expected, crediting Glen Powell for making comedy gold out of Chad Powers’ ridiculousness story. Goodman writes: