Watch the ‘Powerless’ Cast Assign Obscure Superheroes Liability Insurance
What’s Vanessa Hudgens’s secret superpower? Being able to deliver the elevator pitch for the new NBC comedy Powerless, in 45 seconds or less. Appearing alongside fellow cast members Danny Pudi, Alan Tudyk, and Ron Funches, the actress/singer summed up the show’s appeal faster than a speeding bullet: “I play Emily Locke; she’s the head of the insurance claim division that she works at. It takes place at Retcon, the insurance company, and it’s about people who don’t have powers living in a world full of superheroes and supervillains.”
The one crucial detail she left out? Powerless is set in the DC Universe, home to such titans as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and the Red Bee. Wait… you don’t recognize the Red Bee? That’s okay, even the Flash wouldn’t recognize this obscure DC hero if he zoomed by him on the street. But one of the appeals of Powerless is the show’s ability to shine a light on the lesser-known costumed avengers in DC’s extensive back catalogue. The season premiere, for example, features a cameo by the Crimson Fox. And, as the cast demonstrates, the employees at Retcon bring their insurance acumen to every client they represent, whether they’re able to move planets like Superman or gnaw on matter like Matter-Eater Lad.
Next up, we pitted the Powerless crew against a circular supervillain… the Wheel of Comic-Con! After Pudi gave it a mighty Man of Steel spin, it landed on “Secret Talent.” That’s when the Community favorite showed us his superpower: he can do a killer pigeon impression. In a classic comic book twist, though, Pudi’s greatest strength turns out to be Hudgens’s greatest weakness. Guess DC won’t be adding “Pigeon Woman” to its superhero roster anytime soon.
Powerless premieres midseason on NBC.
