There are a ton of superhero series currently on television. From CW’s Arrowverse to Netlix’s Marvel series, there is an abundance of high-stakes dramas that comic book fans can enjoy and geek out for. But there is one genre that has been unexplored in the world of superhero series: comedy. NBC, surely wanting to cash in on the trend of comic adaptations, seems to have realized that, as they’ve ordered a comedy series within the DC comics universe called Powerless.
Powerless, which will star Vanessa Hudgens in the leading role, has remained mostly a mystery in its development. Luckily for us, NBC has just released a new synopsis for the series. The plot, which comes to us via Superherohype, is as follows:
In the first comedy series set in the universe of DC Comics, Vanessa Hudgens (“Grease Live,” “High School Musical”) plays Emily, a spunky young insurance adjuster specializing in regular-people coverage against damage caused by the crime-fighting superheroes. It’s when she stands up to one of these larger-than-life figures (after an epic battle messes with her commute) that she accidentally becomes a cult “hero” in her own right … even if it’s just to her group of lovably quirky co-workers. Now, while she navigates her normal, everyday life against an explosive backdrop, Emily might just discover that being a hero doesn’t always require superpowers.
This concept is an original and exciting use of the DC Comic mythos. Powerless has similar themes to some of the big summer blockbusters like Batman v Superman, but is adapting them into a comedic setting.
The fact that there is a type of insurance which revolves around the damage caused by superheroes is a pretty awesome idea. We’re often seen heroes and villains battling through populated areas and causing destruction in their wake, but we never think of the fiscal ramifications of these actions.
While Batman v Superman and Captain America: Civil War addressed the issue of collateral damage in superheroics, Powerless makes it more about the smaller scale issues. If Green Lantern is battling Sinestro in the middle of your commute, does this count as a personal day? If Superman unearths a tree in your backyard to use as a weapon against Bizarro, will someone replace it? Transforming destruction into annoyance is a pretty great way at bringing the out of this world DC Universe back into reality.
Because Powerless is set within the DC Comics universe, it should be interesting to see which DC characters end up making appearances in the series. At this point, DC has properties across a variety of mediums and channels. Because of this, I’m assuming that NBC will cast their own version of the famous heroes; if Green Arrow makes an appearance, I wouldn’t expect Stephen Amell to be playing the role.
Of course, the legality of which characters NBC has the rights to use is sure to be a confusing and complicated process. So we may get mostly tertiary and original characters.
We’ll continue to update you on Powerless as more information becomes available to us.
