She may not have been the first choice for anyone, but yes, Lucy Punch will play Deena Pilgrim.
We reported earlier this year that Katie Sackhoff was up for the role of Detective Pilgrim, which would have been a very good match, but it seems that Sackhoff has made other plans for that pilot run, and wasn’t able to commit to Powers.
FX today announced that the role has been signed over to Lucy Punch, whom you may recognize from the British police comedy Hot Fuzz, or from the recent Steve Corel goofball flick Dinner for Schmucks.
I wont say that Punch is a terrible fit – though, dare I say she seems a bit too girly for the part – but she’s no Katie Sackhoff, who would have brought some serious geek-cred to the series.
Punch is not a bad actor, but I think that she would be more suited to the part of Zora – the protagonist’s superhero love-interest.
With earlier reports of Charles Dutton cast as Captain Cross, and Bailee Madison as Calista, we’re left wondering who will be cast in the role of the protagonist, former superhero Detective Walker.
Powers is a comic book series which centers on a pair of detectives in a special division which investigates superhero oriented crimes.
One detective is a former strongman hero, who has lost his powers, but retains his deep understanding of the superhero community. The other is a young woman who has only just discovered her own secret superpowers.
As with most such stories the greatness is in the dynamic between the protagonists, as they explore the story, and as the audience explores the implications of a world full of superheroes from the outside.
The series has been running steady, though under a couple different headers, since 2000, and so has a deep store of storyline to draw on.
Powers is planned for the 2012 Pilot group, and if picked up, will air that fall.
