Future Man is a show about a janitor named Josh who gets pulled out of his mundane life and dropped into the future, where he discovers that humanity is doomed unless he can fix it. That premise is simple, absurd and oddly compelling. It is also a show that knows exactly how silly it is, which is half the battle.
Created by Kyle Hunter and Matt Manahan, the series premiered in 2017 on Hulu. It follows Josh, played by Josh Lawson, who is picked up by a time-traveling unit led by Wolf, played by Terry Crews, and brought forward to witness the apocalypse firsthand. His mission: stop the virus that wipes out 99% of humanity. The show ran for three seasons and ended in 2020.
Trailer, via ONE Media.
Josh Lawson’s Odd Charm
Josh Lawson carries the whole thing. His character is a loser, a man who spends his days cleaning offices and dreaming of escape. He is not clever or particularly brave, but he is sincere in a way that makes him impossible to dislike. Lawson plays him with a deadpan that borders on slapstick, and it works because the show trusts him to be the center of the story even when the plot goes off the rails.
Terry Crews plays Wolf as a gruff, no-nonsense leader who has seen too much. His performance anchors the show’s tone, keeping the chaos from spinning out of control. The chemistry between the two leads is the engine that drives the first season. Without that dynamic, the show would collapse under its own weight.
The Time Travel Premise
The central conceit is straightforward: Josh is a nobody who gets a second chance at history. That is a classic setup, and the show leans into it without trying to reinvent the wheel. What makes it fresh is the specificity of Josh’s failure. He is not a brilliant scientist or a military genius. He is a janitor who failed at everything else, and that makes his journey feel earned.
The show also takes time to explain the science behind the time travel. There is a unit that monitors the timeline, and there are rules about changing the past. These rules are established early and mostly respected, which gives the plot a sense of structure even when the action gets wild. It is a small touch, but it matters.
Comedy Over Drama
Future Man is not a serious drama. It is a comedy that occasionally touches on serious themes, and the balance between the two is what makes it work. The humor is broad, physical and often uncomfortable, but it is never cruel. The show has a strange empathy for its characters, even when they are doing something stupid.
The second season introduces a new threat, a virus that turns humans into monsters. This is where the show starts to stretch its legs. The stakes get bigger, and the action gets more elaborate. The result is a shift in tone that some viewers will love and others will find jarring. The show is at its best when it is focused on Josh and Wolf, and at its weakest when it tries to build a larger world around them.
The Third Season
The final season is where the show attempts to wrap everything up. It brings back old characters, resolves long-running threads and tries to give Josh a definitive ending. Whether it succeeds depends on how much faith you had in the earlier seasons. The season is ambitious, and it lands some strong emotional beats, but it also drags in places. The pacing suffers, and some arcs feel rushed.
The ending itself is divisive. Some viewers found it satisfying, while others felt it left too many questions unanswered. The show’s willingness to leave certain threads open is a bold choice, but it is not one everyone agrees with. The third season is a mixed bag, and it is the weakest of the three.
Wolf’s Legacy
Wolf is the heart of the show. He is a man who has seen the worst of humanity and still believes in it. His relationship with Josh is the spine of the series, and it is why the show holds together. Wolf is a mentor figure who is not perfect, but he is honest. He tells Josh the truth, even when it hurts, and that honesty is rare in a show about time travel.
Terry Crews brings a physicality to the role that is hard to ignore. He is built like a linebacker, and he moves with a grace that makes his scenes fun to watch. His delivery is also sharp, and he has a knack for delivering jokes that land with a thud. He is the reason the show works, and his absence in the later seasons is felt deeply.
Comparing the Seasons
| Season | Focus | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josh and Wolf | Chemistry, humor | Narrow scope |
| 2 | Monster virus | Scale, stakes | Tone shift |
| 3 | Resolution | Emotional beats | Dragging pace |
The Numbers
- Premiere: 2017, on Hulu
- Creator: Kyle Hunter and Matt Manahan
- Seasons: 3
- Cast: Josh Lawson, Terry Crews, Eliza Coupe, Ed Begley Jr., Amanda Crew
- Score: 7.0/10
The Final Verdict
Future Man is a flawed but enjoyable show. It is not perfect, and it is not subtle, but it is consistently entertaining. The first season is the strongest, and it sets a standard that the later seasons struggle to meet. The show is at its best when it is focused on Josh and Wolf, and at its weakest when it tries to be something bigger.
The score reflects that unevenness. The show deserves credit for its ambition, but it also deserves criticism for its excesses. It is a show that knows how to make you laugh, even when it is making you cringe. That is a rare combination, and it is worth celebrating.
Future Man is a show that rewards attention. It is not the kind of show you watch casually, but it is the kind of show you remember after it ends. It is a strange, funny, occasionally moving piece of entertainment that asks big questions in small packages. It is not a masterpiece, but it is a good time.
7 of 10.
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