Vanessa Hudgens has been cast in NBC’s DC Comics comedy pilot “Powerless,” Variety has learned. The starring role is Hudgens’ first gig after “Grease Live,” for which she received rave reviews. Based on characters from the DC universe, “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.
Hudgens will play Emily Locke, an insurance claims adjuster who loves her job because she gets to help people. The character likes to fly under the radar and just get her work done, and she finds herself increasingly exasperated by the disruptive antics of the various superheroes that proliferate in her city.
The role marks Hudgens’ first regular role on a TV series. The triple-threat rose to worldwide fame on Disney Channel’s “High School Musical,” which spawned two sequels, including a theatrical release. Most recently, she stunningly played Rizzo on Fox’s live “Grease” TV musical, and was touted as the star of the show, despite her father passing away just hours before the broadcast. Her film credits include “Spring Breakers,” alongside James Franco; “Machete Kills”; and “Sucker Punch.” She is repped by CAA.
“Powerless” hails from Warner Bros. Television, and marks the latest DC project to make its way to television, following the CW’s “Arrow,” “The Flash,” “Legends of Tomorrow” and “iZombie” from DC’s Vertigo imprint, Fox’s “Gotham” and “Supergirl” on CBS. Should the pilot go to series, it would be the only DC comedy on television.
