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Chad Powers season 1 is all set to take the viewers on the field from September 30, 2025. Starring Glen Powell in the lead role, the sports comedy brings a story of redemption with a twist.
Russ Holiday had a glorious career as a quarterback before, but a major mistake during a match completely changed his destiny. Eight years later, unable to overcome his love for football, he decides to make a return. However, his unusual path to return is hilarious as he disguises himself in a new avatar as Chad Powers.
While the concept promises funny moments and tense interactions, the show takes inspiration from a small real-life incident of American football legend Eli Manning. In his show, Eli's Places season 2, he changed his looks and took the fictional name of 'Chad Powers' to attend the tryouts at Penn State.
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Eli Manning's unique experience becomes the inspiration behind Chad Powers season 1
While the upcoming series, Chad Powers season 1, follows Russ Holiday's story through tragic incidents, emotional experiences, and comical twists, the inspiration it draws from is rather striking.
While Chad Powers and Russ's journey is entirely fictional, the concept is inspired by the former New York Giants sensation, Eli Manning. In one of the episodes of his documentary series on ESPN+, Eli's Places season 2 (2022), the player underwent a similar transformation that Russ is seen following in the new Hulu series.
Manning used prostheses and a wig to alter his appearance and adopted the name 'Chad Powers' to participate in the tryouts at Penn State. His funny disguise and quirky speaking style were paired with a striking performance that grabbed the attention of all the young players and the coaches at the venue. He later revealed his true identity to all, bringing surprising reactions from everyone.
This viral moment was just a one-episode coverage, but the concept was taken forward by Glen Powell and Michael Waldron for Chad Powers season 1. While the lead character has a sad story that alters his career, his transformation in the show brings back the striking real-life moment that Eli Manning created in 2022. Manning is also the executive producer of the upcoming series.
Also read: Chad Powers season 1 release date, cast details, where to watch, episode count, and other latest updates so far
Glen Powell talks about taking inspiration from Eli Manning for Chad Powers season 1
Eli Manning's brief transformation as Chad Powers for Eli's Places season 2 became a striking moment that surprised not just the players in the episode but Manning's fans too. And its unique adaptation to a six-episode series further creates waves with the release of Chad Powers season 1.
Appearing as the lead character in the series, Glen Powell has opened up about the special moment that Manning created, which inspired the entire plot of the new show. Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, he shared his thoughts on the inspiration and said:
"What made Eli’s thing so magical is the viewer knew Eli Manning was under [the disguise]. So, let’s use the lie at the center of this thing, which creates inherent fun conflict over the course of the series."
Adding to it, he shared:
"We were like, ‘OK, we’re going to Tootsie this thing. Let’s Mrs. Doubtfire it, and let’s see how far we can take this lie.’ "
Eli Manning is also expected to be one of the special cameos in Chad Powers season 1. Co-creator Michael Waldron briefly spoke about it to Entertainment Weekly and said:
"It'd be hard to do the show based on Eli's sketch without having Eli in it. I wasn't trying to draw the ire of that guy. So we knew we had to find a place for Eli in the show somewhere. We thought we did that in a really fun way... and there's one or two other ones that we think are pretty fun."
With all these updates and information available about the show so far, viewers can expect a unique watching experience for the new Hulu show, releasing at the end of September 2025.
Stay tuned for more updates.
