Powerless’s Alan Tudyk Explains Why Batman’s Cousin Admires Lex Luthor

When Powerless comes to NBC next month, the series might not share a lot of DNA with the version screened at Comic Con International: San Diego over the summer.

One thing that’s stayed the same (even as the name and type of the company at the heart of the show has changed) is that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story star Alan Tudyk will play the office manager, a man seen reading Lex Luthor’s biography in the first teaser for the show.

While his new character is Bruce Wayne’s cousin, which is something his original role was never teased as, it isn’t clear whether or not that secret ever would have been revealed in the “original” Powerless.

Whatever the case, when we spoke to Tudyk at Comic Con this summer, ComicBook.com asked him what was so appealing about Lex.

“That he’s ruthless, that he has power, that he’s able to take on powerful superheroes like Superman,’ Tudyk explained. “He aspires to that. He aspires to have power, in this powerless world.”

Danny Pudi, Vanessa Hudgens, Alan Tudyk and others star in the series as everyday people whose brushes with the superheroes and supervillains of the DC Universe are rare and mostly traumatic. Much of the series is centered on Wayne Security, who create products aimed at protecting civilians from the consequences of superhero battles.

The series has had a long run-up to its premiere, including the loss of showrunner Ben Queen in August.

In a world where humanity must cope with the collateral damage of Super Heroes and Super-Villains, Emily Locke (Vanessa Hudgens) begins her first day as Director of Research & Development for Wayne Security, a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises that specializes in products that make defenseless bystanders feel a little safer. Full of confidence and big ideas, Emily quickly learns that her expectations far exceed those of her new boss (Alan Tudyk) and officemates, so it will be up to her to lead the team toward their full potential and the realization that you don’t need superpowers to be a hero.

MORE: New Powerless Promo Reveals Alan Tudyk is Playing Batman’s Cousin / New Powerless Promo Drops Superman Joke / NBC Debuts New Powerless Teaser / New Powerless Image Contains Batman Easter Egg / Powerless’s Batman Connection / Wonder Woman’s Powerless Role Explained / Powerless Trailer

Powerless premieres Thursday, February 2 at 8:30/7:30c on NBC.