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Future Man

Future Man

Ripping space and time a new one.

2017–2020Ended3 seasons34 episodes~30 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

Josh Futturman, a janitor by day/world-ranked gamer by night, is tasked with preventing the extinction of humanity after mysterious visitors from the future proclaim him the key to defeating the imminent super-race invasion.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Future Man?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Future Man to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

BuyBuy

Highlights

What stands out about Future Man?

Future Man earns 5 badges, led by Binge-worthy and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Future Man worth watching?

Future Man's Midcredits score is the 75th percentile of all shows, from 35K ratings across 2 sources. 82% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

75th percentile

Better received than 75% of shows

69th percentile among Action73rd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)68th
Approval (how many liked it)77th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

75 /100

68th percentile of all shows

65th percentile among Action66th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

82% liked it

77th percentile of all shows

68th percentile among Action75th percentile among 2010s
82% rated it 7–1018% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

96th percentile

35K ratings across platforms

84th percentile among Action95th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 12% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree Future Man is an acquired taste built on crude, derivative, spoof-heavy comedy that lives or dies on whether that brand of humor lands for the viewer.

Fans praised

  • raunchy, self-aware Rogen/Goldberg humor with relentless laugh-out-loud gags
  • constant spoofs and homages to 80s/90s sci-fi classics (Terminator, Back to the Future, Last Starfighter)
  • irreverent, unique premise executed with brisk pacing and binge-worthy energy

Detractors panned

  • juvenile, crude sexual humor that feels forced and unfunny
  • concept wasted by focus on foul language, gore, and shock value instead of real sci-fi or wit
  • second season devolves into a dull, confusing non-comedy that loses the show's spark

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive75

plays on clichés but refreshingly self-aware and risky

CharactersDivisive74

fun, memorable trio, especially Wolf, with satisfying arcs

ActingDivisive74

Wilson, Coupe, Hutcherson shine with great chemistry and comedic timing

HumorDivisive72

raunchy, self-aware, spoof-heavy; divisive but frequently laugh-out-loud

PacingDivisive72

snappy 30-min episodes that are binge-worthy, though season 2 drags

DialogueDivisive70

quick-witted, quotable one-liners, heavy on crude banter

Atmosphere70

immersive, well-realized time periods and dystopian settings

Plot and storyDivisive62

derivative but deliberately so; engaging first season, messy later arcs

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 18 points higher than women.

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 14 points higher than under-30s.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Episodes

3 seasons

Season 3 · 2020 · 8 episodes · 7.6 average across 8 rated episodes

  • S3E1

    The Precipice of Yesterday

    Apr 3, 202025 minTMDB rating 7.8
  • S3E2

    There Will Be Borscht

    Apr 3, 202035 minTMDB rating 8.1Season best
  • S3E3

    Trapper's Delight

    Apr 3, 202032 minTMDB rating 7.7
  • S3E4

    The Outlaw Wild Sam Bladden

    Apr 3, 202032 minTMDB rating 7.6
  • S3E5

    Haven Is for Real

    Apr 3, 202028 minTMDB rating 7.6
  • S3E6

    The Land After Time

    Apr 3, 202031 minTMDB rating 7.2
  • S3E7

    Time Rogues III: Escape from Forever

    Apr 3, 202030 minTMDB rating 7.2
  • S3E8

    Return of the Present

    Apr 3, 202033 minTMDB rating 7.9Finale

Watch experience

What is Future Man like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Ironic, light and charged — a relentless watch that leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
AbsurdThrillingWarm
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Satirical · 5% of showsAbsurdist · 6% of shows: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedNew arc each season
ToneThe show holds its own material at a knowing distance, constantly parodying and subverting sci-fi tropes with crude, absurdist humor.
The rideThe series maintains a frenetic, comedic energy with moments of genuine warmth and high-stakes action across its run.
StructureThe story is told chronologically across seasons, following a conventional beginning-middle-end arc.
Episode formatThe series follows a continuous story across seasons, with each episode advancing the main time-travel plot.
Season formatEach season features a new arc with the same core cast, as the characters jump to different time periods and face new challenges.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
FunRousing · 9% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe show leaves you entertained and grinning, with an energetic and exhilarating ride through time travel parodies.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestMission
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% (this title) · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Mission: Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).

6% of shows fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe series follows a gamer recruited by future warriors to time-travel and prevent an apocalypse, forming a mission-driven quest.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfPurposeSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% (this title) · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% (this title) · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Self

PurposeFriendshipIdentity
Satirizes its theme: Attacks its theme through ridicule.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeJosh starts as a directionless janitor/gamer and finds purpose through the time-travel mission, while also grappling with who he is and forming unlikely bonds with his future comrades.
StanceThe show uses its time-travel premise to satirize genre tropes and video game culture while still delivering a fun adventure.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticScience fiction
ElectronicOrchestral modernSupportive music · hybrid
SettingA janitor's life in the present day, contrasted with futuristic time-travel adventures.

Content guide

Is Future Man okay for kids?

TV-MA

Future Man is rated TV-MA. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (70/100), sexual content at intense (71/100), language at severe (85/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (62/100) and frightening material at moderate (39/100). Overall it is heavier than 67% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 12 other countries
  • UK18
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • Poland16
  • RO15
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeR21
  • Spain18
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 83% of all showsHeavier than 67% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 58%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 82%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 82%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 67%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 24%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: language, sexual content, violence, and drug and alcohol content. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Future Man have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Future Man?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Josh Hutcherson
as Josh Futturman
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Eliza Coupe
as Tiger
Derek Wilson
as Wolf
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Haley Joel Osment
as Dr. Stu Camillo
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Glenne Headly
as Diane Futturman
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Ed Begley Jr.
as Gabe Futturman
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sara Amini
as Thimble
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Robert Craighead
as Detective Vincent Skarsgaard
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Jade Catta-Preta
as Level
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Shaun J. Brown
as Hatchet
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

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What are shows like Future Man?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Future Man include The Big Door Prize (2023), Voyagers! (1982) and Halo (2022).

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