After pumping the airwaves with teaser trailers, NBC finally offers its longest glimpse yet at Powerless, the new superhero comedy about the people who have to clean up the collateral damage superheroes leave behind. High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens stars as Emily Locke, a Charm City resident who gets her dream job in Research and Development at Wayne Security. Only rather than working directly for Bruce, she’s working for his less suave cousin, Van Wayne (Alan Tudyk), who executive producer Justin Halpern has called the “idiot son” to Bruce’s Donald Trump. Elsewhere Danny Pudi, Christina Kirk, and Ron Funches play Emily’s co-workers, who have varying levels of enthusiasm for their jobs.
Emily and her colleagues are charged with designing products that can keep innocent bystanders from being accidentally injured in superhero battles (a frequent topic of conversation since Man Of Steel went into full destruction mode a few years ago). But perhaps the most charming thing about the Powerless trailer is that it lets the DC Universe references fly fast and free. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman all get nods, and the show digs deep into comic-book lore to reference Starro, a giant starfish-like creature who first battled the Justice League back in 1960. The trailer also offers a few quick glimpses of Crimson Fox, the French superhero who is set to take center stage when Powerless premieres on February 2.