Chad Powers Season 2 Sets September 3 Release Date on Hulu — First Look at the Catfish’s Return

The Catfish Are Back

Glen Powell’s football comedy Chad Powers is returning for a second season, and Hulu has officially locked in the premiere date. Season 2 will drop on September 3, streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers. Along with the date announcement, first-look photos dropped this week, giving fans a peek at what Russ Holliday and the South Georgia Catfish are up to next.

For anyone who missed Season 1, here’s the setup: Russ Holliday (Glen Powell) was a hotshot college quarterback whose career imploded after a very public meltdown in a championship game. Eight years later, he uses prosthetics and a wig from his makeup artist father to disguise himself as “Chad Powers” and tries out for the floundering football team at a small Georgia college. Think Mrs. Doubtfire meets Ted Lasso with shoulder pads. The series was created by Glen Powell and Michael Waldron, and it’s loosely based on Eli Manning’s viral character from the Eli’s Places ESPN segment. Both Eli and Peyton Manning served as producers, helping secure actual football arenas and props for filming.

Where We Left Off

Season 1 ended on a massive cliffhanger. Ricky (Perry Mattfeld), the team’s manager and daughter of Coach Jake Hudson (Steve Zahn), discovered Chad’s true identity. She confronted Russ, and in classic quarterback fashion, he tried to call an audible — threatening that exposing him would jeopardize the entire season and her dad’s reputation. The finale left Chad’s secret hanging by a thread, with his entire South Georgia Catfish future dangling in the balance.

Season 2 picks up with Russ aiming to lead the Catfish to the college football playoffs. But now that Ricky knows the truth, the question isn’t just whether Chad can throw a spiral — it’s whether the lie can survive another season. The first-look images show Chad in full uniform, looking determined (and slightly sweaty, as a quarterback should), along with returning cast members including Steve Zahn, Toby Huss, Perry Mattfeld, Clayne Crawford, Wynn Everett, Frankie A. Rodriguez, and Colton Ryan.

Why Chad Powers Works

There’s something about the premise that just clicks. Glen Powell has this unearned confidence energy that’s perfect for a guy dumb enough to think a latex chin and a bad wig will fool an entire football program. The show balances broad comedy with genuine heart — Coach Hudson is the kind of small-school lifer who’s seen too many talented kids throw it all away, and his dynamic with Chad/Russ gives the series emotional weight under the punchlines.

If you enjoyed Powell’s work in Top Gun: Maverick or his chemistry with Sydney Sweeney in Anyone But You, Chad Powers lets him flex his comedic chops in a way neither of those roles really did. He’s playing two characters at once — arrogant, washed-up Russ and confident, fake Chad — and the physical comedy of him switching between personas in the same scene is where the show shines.

The Eli Manning Connection

One of the more interesting behind-the-scenes details about Chad Powers is its origin story. The character started as a sketch on Eli Manning’s ESPN series Eli’s Places, where the two-time Super Bowl winner donned a disguise and tried out for a college football team himself. The segment went viral enough that a full series felt inevitable. When Glen Powell and Michael Waldron (who also created Loki for Marvel) got involved, they expanded the concept into a full narrative about identity, redemption, and the sheer audacity of thinking a wig counts as a disguise.

Both Manning brothers have remained involved as executive producers, and their real football connections have been invaluable. The show films at actual college football facilities, uses real equipment, and the game sequences have a credibility that most sports comedies lack. You don’t get that without the Mannings’ Rolodex. It’s one of those rare cases where a celebrity cameo concept evolved into something that actually works as a television show.

Sports Comedies Are Having a Moment

It’s worth noting that Chad Powers arrives at a moment when sports comedies are enjoying a quiet renaissance. Ted Lasso proved that audiences want sports shows with heart. Welcome to Wrexham showed that real sports stories can be just as compelling as fiction. Chad Powers sits somewhere in the middle — it’s a fictional story wrapped in real football authenticity, with a cast that treats the absurd premise with just enough seriousness to keep it from tipping into parody.

The show also taps into the current cultural fascination with college football, which remains one of the most-watched sports properties in America. By focusing on a small school program rather than a major powerhouse, the series captures the underdog energy that makes sports stories universally appealing — whether you follow football or not.

New Season, Higher Stakes

Season 2 is expanding the world of the Catfish. The college football playoffs are the stated goal, but the real tension is whether Russ can keep up the charade while Ricky’s knowledge of his secret hangs over every play. The show also teased new characters joining the roster, though exact details are still under wraps. Expect the same mix of locker room banter, game-day chaos, and Russ nearly exposing himself (professionally, not literally — though this is a comedy, so who knows) at least once per episode.

The series has been a steady performer for Hulu since its September 2025 debut. Critics praised Powell’s dual performance and the show’s ability to make a ridiculous premise feel grounded. Steve Zahn, in particular, has been singled out as the secret weapon — his Coach Hudson brings the weary, seen-it-all energy that every great sports comedy needs.

What the Competition Looks Like

September is shaping up to be a busy month for streaming comedies. Chad Powers Season 2 joins a fall lineup that includes returning favorites and new premieres across the major platforms. Hulu’s bet on football-adjacent content makes strategic sense — the NFL season kicks off in early September, and a college football comedy arriving right as pigskin season heats up is timing that can’t be accidental. Whether you’re a sports fan or just here for Powell’s good-natured goofiness, the Catfish are coming back at exactly the right moment.

And if you somehow missed Season 1, now’s the time to catch up. The entire first season is available on Hulu, and with the premiere just over a month away, you’ve got plenty of time to binge before the new episodes drop. Powell’s earlier work in Twisters and Hidden Figures shows his range, but Chad Powers is where he gets to be genuinely funny — and it’s well worth the watch.