With the lead casting of Vanessa Hudgens yesterday in the pilot for Powerless, things are coming together fast for the rest of the main cast. The project from NBC has now brought in Alan Tudyk, Danny Pudi and Christina Kirk as regulars if it goes to series.
“”Community” alum Danny Pudi has been cast as Teddy, the best work friend of Hudgens’ character. He’s described as spending his days “creating time-wasting pranks as a way to make their office, the ‘least super place on earth,’ just a little less ‘unsuper.'” Alan Tudyk, known to many fans as Wash from “Firefly” and “Serenity,” will play Hudgens’ boss Del — who was promoted just because he’s the boss’ son. He’s described as a “power-mad disastrous dictator of a boss” and a “rich, over-educated globetrotting wastrel.” Christina Kirk (“A to Z”) has been cast as Jackie, a fan of super heroes — specifically beefcake super guys. Jackie’s also Del’s personal assistant, but she will begin “buckling under his unreasonable and impossible demands.””
Previously cast was Vanessa Hudgens who is set to play an insurance claims adjuster, Emily Locke, who loves keeping to herself and helping others with through job. However, she becomes irritated by the superhuman activity running rampant through her city.
The project comes from A to Z creator Ben Queen and Warner Bros. where it’ll do an Office-like attempt set with a non-powered cast that has to deal with the fallout of living in that world.
It’s not expected that any top tier characters will appear in it, or any powered character depending on how it plays out, since the focus is on your normal workers.
Material like this has been done in the comics for years and years with both Marvel and DC Comics doing it, having fun poking fun at themselves and what happens in the world, though you can also see plenty of workplace elements taking a strong nod here that will humanize it more and add some good layers to it.
Plot concept: Powerless is a workplace comedy set at one of the worst insurance companies in America — with the twist being that it also takes place in the universe of DC Comics. The show is about the reality of working life for a normal, powerless person in a world of superheroes and villains.
[Source: Variety]
