In addition to longtime Justice League Europe member Crimson Fox, NBC’s forthcoming DC Comics comedy Powerless will feature an appearance by Global Guardian Jack O’Lantern, the cast confirmed for DC All Access.
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While Jack O’Lantern is a legacy name used by a number of DC characters, the most likely candidate is probably Daniel Cormac, the original Jack O’Lantern, if for no other reason than the fact that he has been known to operate out of Paris, which would gel with the French superheroine he’ll be sharing the screen with.
His power set comes from a Mystical lantern, giften to him by a fairy, which grants its barer various fairy-like abilities including flight, energy projection, teleportation, illusion casting, superhuman strength and the ability to create a disorienting fog.
Jack O’Lantern was created by E. Nelson Bridwell and Ramona Fradon, first appearing in 1977’s Super Friends #8 and joining the DC Universe five years later in Bridwell’s DC Comics Presents #46.
In the first comedy series set in the universe of DC Comics, Vanessa Hudgens (Grease Live, High School Musical) plays Emily, a spunky young insurance adjuster specializing in regular-people coverage against damage caused by the crime-fighting superheroes. It’s when she stands up to one of these larger-than-life figures (after an epic battle messes with her commute) that she accidentally becomes a cult “hero” in her own right … even if it’s just to her group of lovably quirky co-workers. Now, while she navigates her normal, everyday life against an explosive backdrop, Emily might just discover that being a hero doesn’t always require superpowers.
The cast includes Hudgens, Alan Tudyk, Danny Pudi and Christina Kirk.
Ben Queen (“A to Z,” “Cars 2”) serves as writer and executive producer. Director Michael Patrick Jann (“A to Z,” “Children’s Hospital,” “Reno 911!”) also executive produces.Powerless is produced by Warner Bros. Television and based on the characters from DC Comics.
The series is expected to debut on NBC at midseason. It’s a half-hour comedy, in contrast to the hour-long dramas seen in most of the superhero genre, and the superheroes and -villains who show up in the series will play a fairly minimal role in the big-picture storylines.
