New Details on NBC’s POWERLESS Pilot; Which DC Heroes Will Be Referenced?

It was recently confirmed that NBC has ordered a pilot for Powerless, a workplace company set in the DC Universe. The potential series would focus on a group of ordinary humans, who work in an insurance company, and their perspective on the heroes of this world.

Today, at the Television Critics Association tour, NBC’s Robert Greenblatt and Jennifer Salke spoke with IGN about DC’s latest small screen venture. Salke offers some new details on the pilot’s story, saying, “DC came in with a pitch and they’re very committed to… This is a world where superheroes are not only just on green screen out the window of this insurance office, but they’re also running into you on the street and wreaking havoc. The idea isn’t that it’s the creme de la creme of the superheroes. It’s a world where there’s a whole population of superheroes with all sorts of all challenges themselves. So you’re seeing quite a range of characters in that realm in addition to our great, kind of grounded human ensemble.”

Previously, it was reported that A-list heroes such as Batman and Superman probably won’t be referenced on Powerless. However, when Salke was asked about this, she suggests the exact opposite. “Oh yeah, they’ve namedropped everyone. I don’t think they’ve said anyone’s off limits.” While most of DC’s shows – such as Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl – are limited in terms of which characters they can use, it sounds like Powerless may not have these limits.

Salke then reveals that at least one familiar DC hero will appear in the Powerless pilot. “Just creatively, what I’ve seen so far of the pilot, the main superhero that’s featured is not one of those [Batman or Superman-type heroes], but it’s someone recognizable.” But for the most part, according to Greenblatt, the DC heroes will be kept to the background of the show, with the focus being on the, well, powerless protagonists. “…they’re in the background. They’re wallpaper, I suppose, as opposed to they’re not the main characters in the show, so you may see them blowing up a building out the window or something.”

Stay tuned for more news as we have it.