Josh Hutcherson Interview: ‘Future Man’ Season 2

Hulu’s hysterical comedy series Future Man returns for season two on Friday, January 11, 2019. The new season finds Josh Futturman (Josh Hutcherson), Tiger (Eliza Coupe), and Wolf (Derek Wilson) stuck in 2162 after failing to stop the cure from being released.

The cast and executive producers took part in a panel at the 2018 New York Comic Con where they provided hints as to what’s in store for Josh, Wolf, and Tiger in the show’s second season. In addition to the Q&A with NYCC fans, the Future Man team participated in roundtable interviews. Chatting about the new season, Josh Hutcherson described what’s going on with his character, his co-stars, and his own gaming skills.

Is it weird, easier, or more difficult playing a character with your same name?

Josh Hutcherson: “It’s really, really weird and definitely harder because normally you get to hide behind a name, but I have the same name as my character. So, it’s very confusing on set because Josh is me and Josh is the character so then I start talking in the third person. I remember talking like, ‘So, when Josh enters…’ and they think I’m talking about me. It’s a mindf*ck.”


What sort of hell they put you through in the second season?

Josh Hutcherson: “All kinds of it. I think literally 70% of this season I’m restrained in some way, whether it’s handcuffs, tied to a chair about to be burned alive, shackled to a little shed while being muzzled, being fed bean mush, being fed mushrooms that make you shit your pants, being tied and strapped down to a chair… It’s the whole season. Drinking my own piss…there’s a lot of stuff.”

They like to torture you.

Josh Hutcherson: “They like to torture me. They really have some issues with me. I don’t know what it is. They really don’t like me. They want to see me restrained and held against my will.”

This season splits up the gang a little bit more. What was it like being away from Derek and Eliza? The first season you had so many scenes together.

Josh Hutcherson: “It was weird. We really developed quite the dynamic between the three of us, not even just as actors in scenes and sort of our comedy whatnot together, but just as friends and people working together. So, to not be with them when you’ve got the rare scene…I mean towards the later half of the season we get a lot more together, but the first half of the season we’re kind of separate a lot. When you get those rare moments of seeing each other it was lovely.”

Future Man star Josh Hutcherson
Josh Hutcherson in ‘Future Man’ season 2 episode 1 (Photo by: Erin Simkin/Hulu)

Josh started a nerd and remains a nerd. Given that, what’s his greatest strength?

Josh Hutcherson: “I think his greatest strength is his fight. Not the physical ability to fight, but the fight within him. He’s never going to give up and he’s going to constantly, even when he’s put through hell he’s going to keep on fighting, so to speak, towards a better future and saving the world. I think he has a lot of heart in that sense.

I think that while he’s not very smart, he’s knowledgeable. He knows a lot of things especially when it comes to sci-fi and time travel. His references from movies and strategies from video games kind of come into play with some of his decision-making. That doesn’t mean it always goes well, but those are some of his strengths.”

Do you get much input into how Josh will evolve?

Josh Hutcherson: “Yeah, we talk a lot about it between the seasons, kind of like the general arc of where he’s going and everything like that. And then day-to-day on set when we get the new scripts coming in from new episodes, we all talk about it. We do read-throughs and kind of discuss things that work and things that don’t. It’s a super collaborative environment, so it’s a nice safe place to come up with ideas. And some of my ideas are shot down sometimes.”

What’s been shot down?

Josh Hutcherson: “Well, I had this idea for season three as a whole that was we’re being chased through the decades by like time police kind of thing. And, they actually had a similar idea. I think we’re working on that for if we have a season three. I think maybe that’s the direction we’ll head in for season three, if we get to that. So, it wasn’t really shot down. It’s like, ‘That’s cool. We’re going to put it over here for now.’”

Is there anyone in season two he’s going to team up with that we might not expect? Are there any new supporting players that come into his life?

Josh Hutcherson: “A robotic dog.”

Seriously?

Josh Hutcherson: “Yeah. It’s a sad, sad story for Josh Futterman. There’s actually a lot of great characters that come into play, especially with Wolf and his cluster of family that he now lives with. Really funny characters there. Dr. Stu Camillo, Haley Joel Osment’s character, has a much bigger role and he’s hilarious in this. And I have a few scenes where I play opposite myself again, so that’s really fun.”

What’s special about working with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg?

Josh Hutcherson: “They’re great. Our whole writing team, they’re fantastic. They have unique minds and kind of the way they approach projects is like, ‘Hey, what if we made this?’ and then they go and make it and it’s hilarious. They have a great brand of comedy and they always bring in the highest level of actors and crew members possible to make something come to life.

I’d definitely love to work with them on other things. It’s just a collaborative environment. The best idea, the funniest idea, is the one that wins no matter where it comes from.”

How do your real life video game skills compare to Josh’s?

Josh Hutcherson: “You know, I think I’m fairly good at video games. I didn’t really know that I was and I started playing after the first season of Future Man. I haven’t played lately so I’m a bit rusty. I’ve been gaming online quite a bit, playing a lot of Overwatch.”

Who do you play as?

Josh Hutcherson: “I switch it up. I’m a filler. I fill whatever the team is needing.”