Superhero movies/TV shows always focus on the ones with the powers, but what about those other, lowly people? The ones trying to get through their nine-to-five shift without their building collapsing onto them? That’s the basis, in part, for NBC’s DC Comics comedy Powerless, a workplace sitcom with an added superpowered twist, which is set to premiere early next month. To announce its not-so-supersized debut, the peacock station released the show’s first official trailer this week, and you can check it out up above.
Starring Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical), Alan Tudyk (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Danny Pudi (Community), Christina Kirk (A to Z), Ron Funches (Undatable), Kate Miccuci (Don’t Think Twice) and Josh Fadem (30 Rock), Powerless follows the employees of Wayne Security, a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises, that specializes in products for the defenseless, AKA the powerless, to make them feel safer. It primarily focuses on Emily (Hudgens), a bright, confident go-getter that quickly learns that her expectations far exceed those found by her boss (Tudyk) and her fellow officemates. So, it’s basically Scrubs meets The Office meets The Flash meets Hancock? We’ll see.
With DC’s theatrical output becoming quite grim and foreboding, the company’s television efforts have worked hard to try to lighten up their comic book adaptations, and that’s the basis behind NBC’s Powerless. Will it work? We’ll have to see. The trailer looks unremarkable, rather appropriately, but the broadcast station isn’t necessarily known for their exceptional promotional material.
This premise has a lot of promise, though, and hopefully, that’s found throughout the new sitcom. Just don’t go into it expecting any cameos from Bruce Wayne and the gang. At least, not yet. This is a more grounded effort as far as we can tell. Still, that doesn’t mean a few easter eggs won’t be sprinkled throughout.
Powerless premieres on NBC on February 2, at which point we’ll find out if it truly flies.