Key Takeaways
- A 2022 Eli Manning bit sparked a full Hulu series that blends absurd humor with a heartfelt sports comeback.
- Season 1 runs six episodes, with the conclusion landing the week of Oct. 28, 2025, and fan theories are flying.
- The Top Gun: Maverick star co-creates and leads, leaning into “Mrs. Doubtfire with football” energy and a prosthetic-powered alter ego.
- New episodes drop Tuesdays on Hulu (also via Disney+ hubs), making it easy to binge before the finale.
The stadium lights buzz. A shaggy blond mullet bounces under a battered helmet. And a once-canceled quarterback, hiding behind a prosthetic nose and a swaggering alias, drops back to pass like he’s throwing his life back on target.
This is Chad Powers in 2025: not just a character but a cultural wink — a satire of second chances and the disguises we wear to win them.
The show’s premise sounds wild because it is: Glen Powell plays Russ Holliday, a disgraced college QB who reinvents himself as “Chad Powers” and sneaks onto a hopeless team, chasing redemption with every snap. Born from Eli Manning’s viral undercover tryout, the comedy morphs a meme into a weekly event that fans dissect like game tape.
This feature dives into how Chad Powers leaped from prank to primetime, why Powell’s pivot clicks in 2025, the cast-and-episodes game plan, and what to expect as Season 1 barrels toward its final whistle.
We’ll track the release cadence, highlight fan-buzz moments, and tap reliable sources so you’re set for the season’s last drive.
From Viral Skit to Hulu Headliner: How “Chad Powers” Happened
In 2022, Eli Manning donned a wig, mustache, and jersey No. 200 to prank Penn State’s walk-on tryouts — a bit from ESPN+’s Eli’s Places that exploded across football Twitter and beyond.
The alter ego’s mantra, “Think fast, run fast,” took on a life of its own. Three years later, the skit is the seed of Hulu’s Chad Powers, co-created by Glen Powell and writer-producer Michael Waldron (Loki).
Powell doesn’t just star — he helped build the character’s TV mythology, with Eli and Peyton Manning executive producing to keep the football DNA authentic.
Entertainment Weekly’s set preview framed the show’s tone as equal parts absurdist disguise comedy and bruised-heart sports story — imagine Mrs. Doubtfire colliding with a college playbook. Eli even pops up on camera, winking at the character he birthed.
The Story So Far: Identity, Comebacks & College Football
Season 1 follows Russ Holliday’s transformation into Chad Powers, a charmingly shameless walk-on for the fictional South Georgia Catfish.
As the wins stack up, the disguise does, too — success pressures Russ to live as Chad longer and louder. Episode 5 turns the screws: with the Catfish unbeaten and ESPN circling, the mask starts to feel permanent.
Recaps teased a “fifth quarter” twist that rattles Russ’s balance between the persona fans adore and the person he’s afraid to be.
The series premiered on September 30, 2025, releasing two episodes at launch before settling into a weekly cadence.
It tracks like a confidence play: first hook the audience with the bit, then deepen the character conflict and raise the stakes toward a finale that forces Russ to choose which face he’ll wear once the clock hits 0:00.
Why Glen Powell’s “Chad Powers” Works Right Now
Powell’s 2025 is already stacked — romcom cred, action stardom, and a Netflix-to-box-office glow-up — but Chad Powers is his audacious left turn.
Critics clocked the show’s challenge: avoiding a straight Ted Lasso echo while letting Powell’s charm peek out from under an intentionally obnoxious mask.
Variety’s launch review argued the comedy “needs more practice,” but even skeptics concede the premise is catnip for a scroll-and-share culture raised on viral sports moments. In short, the show makes its own fourth-and-long and dares Powell to throw deep.
And it’s resonant for 2025. Identity slippage, cancel-culture hangovers, and the lure of a second chance all feel ripped from the timeline.
EW’s early coverage leaned into that theme: a guy more comfortable in a mask than his real face — until sport forces him to take it off. That framing gives the comedy its heart.
Inside the Playbook: Cast, Episodes, and Release Schedule
Who’s on the roster? Alongside Powell, you’ll spot Steve Zahn (as the coach who needs a miracle), Perry Mattfeld, Wynn Everett, Frankie A. Rodriguez, and Quentin Plair.
The show’s six-episode first season runs Tuesdays on Hulu, with the finale pegged for the last week of October (Episode 6 on/around Oct. 28).
IMDb’s episode cards confirm the arc — from “1st Quarter” through “5th Quarter” — and tease ESPN attention as things heat up. Bookmark it: release-day ritual is coffee, countdown, kickoff.
Stream Chad Powers on Hulu (also surfaces via Disney+ if your apps are connected). New users can sample via Hulu trials; plan specifics vary. Always check Hulu’s official series page for the latest availability and bundles.
Fandom & Viral Moments: From Gameday to Cameos
The show keeps one foot in real college football culture: SEC atmospheres, sports-media Easter eggs, and even a cheeky Eli-vs.-Powell face-off via Eli’s Places.
The meta cameo doubles as a message: Chad belongs to the culture now, not just its creator. That kind of cross-pollination is Discover rocket fuel — short clip, shareable payoff, instant context.
Style & Authenticity: The Disguise That Became a Mood
Powell’s prosthetic-heavy transformation sells the bit. First-look teasers showed the exaggerated nose and surfer-lid hair, a walk-on superhero suit you can slip into when you’re not allowed to be yourself.
The series shoots real stadium energy and locker room rhythms; with the Mannings in the EP huddle, the football feels tactile, not sitcom-generic. That verisimilitude helps the joke land — and keeps non-fans glued for the human stakes.
The Fashion and Confidence Evolution
From busted ball cap to media-day swagger, Chad’s look hardens with each win — a visual map of Russ getting addicted to applause.
It’s sports couture as character arc: the more polished the disguise, the more precarious the person underneath. By Episode 5’s “fifth quarter,” the mirror is practically a rival.
The 2025 Era: Why “Chad Powers” Hits the Culture Now
Sports comedies surge when they feel like a clubhouse — a place to laugh, argue, and care together.
Chad Powers piggybacks a meme into a serial story about ego, grace, and owning your mess. That’s timeless.
But the 2025 texture — weekly drops, social clip-ability, a finale scheduled like a football Saturday — gives it the rhythm of gameday fandom. (Want receipts? EW’s preview details the show’s “absurd comedy with a big heart,” while Variety’s review keeps the bar high — precisely the tension that makes week-to-week viewing addictive.)
What to Expect in the Finale (No Spoilers)
Economic Times’ guide sets expectations: Episode 6 closes a six-part season built like a two-minute drill — identity stakes, media glare, and a choice Russ can’t duck.
Expect payoff on ESPN attention, locker-room trust, and whether Chad can exist without wrecking Russ. Translation: masks come off in finales.
Everything You Need to Know (and Where to Verify It)
- Premiere: Sept. 30, 2025 (two episodes at launch).
- Schedule: Weekly Tuesdays; six episodes total; finale week of Oct. 28.
- Creators/EPs: Glen Powell, Michael Waldron, with Eli & Peyton Manning among EPs.
- Cast highlights: Glen Powell, Steve Zahn, Perry Mattfeld, Wynn Everett, Frankie A. Rodriguez, Quentin Plair.
- Official hub: Hulu’s series page.
- Backgrounder: PEOPLE’s explainer on the original Eli Manning skit.
- Critical snapshot: Variety’s review at launch.
Conclusion
Chad Powers isn’t just a costume — it’s a confession. The show turns a viral prank into a weekly reckoning with ego, forgiveness, and the faces we invent to survive.
Glen Powell’s 2025 swing is bold, occasionally jagged, and utterly watchable, anchoring a sports comedy that understands why fans fall in love with underdogs: because comebacks aren’t clean; they’re earned.
As the Season 1 finale approaches, the only real question left is whether Russ Holliday can win without hiding — and whether Chad Powers has the nerve to remove the helmet and tell the truth.
That’s why the last drive matters. And that’s why Chad Powers just might stick the landing.
FAQs
Is Chad Powers based on a true story?
The series is fictional but inspired by Eli Manning’s 2022 undercover walk-on bit from ESPN+’s Eli’s Places, where he posed as “Chad Powers” at Penn State tryouts.
How many episodes are in Season 1?
Six total, with the finale slated for the last week of October 2025. New episodes land on Tuesdays.
Where can I watch Chad Powers?
Stream it on Hulu (and it may surface via Disney+ if your apps are linked). Check Hulu’s official series page for plan details.
Who created the show?
Glen Powell and Michael Waldron co-created it; Eli and Peyton Manning are among the executive producers.
Who’s in the main cast?
Glen Powell leads as Russ/Chad, with Steve Zahn, Perry Mattfeld, Wynn Everett, Frankie A. Rodriguez, and Quentin Plair.
When did the show premiere?
September 30, 2025, with a two-episode drop followed by weekly releases.
What’s the vibe — comedy only, or something deeper?
It’s a disguise-forward sports comedy with real emotional stakes — identity, redemption, and media pressure — described by EW as absurd yet heartfelt.
Nishant Wagh is the founder of The Graval and a seasoned SEO and content strategist with over 15 years of experience. He writes with a focus on digital influence, authority, and long-term search visibility.
