Josh Hutcherson's Bingeable Sci-Fi Show With Near-Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score Is A 10/10 Must-See

Josh Hutcherson is most known for playing Peeta Mellark, but Hutcherson's best role since The Hunger Games is in an underrated Hulu sci-fi comedy series called Future Man. The show has a uniquely funny sitcom hook: Hutcherson plays Josh Futterman, a janitor and video game enthusiast, who is recruited to travel to the past to save the world.

Future Man never became a streaming phenomenon, but it got a commendable three seasons. The show has an overall impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 91%, with Future Man season 2 getting a rare 100% RT score. Sci-fi and comedy are more niche genres, so combining them in an original concept with no franchise backing was always risky, but Future Man is a must-watch for anyone looking for a fresh take on time travel.

Hulu’s Time Travel Series Future Man Is A Perfect Sci-Fi Sitcom

Future Man blends high-concept time travel and apocalyptic stakes with sitcom-style character dynamics and sharp, self-aware humor. It balances absurd, genre-savvy jokes with genuine heart, letting the friendship at its core feel as important as the fate of the universe.

The show fires off pop culture references, rapid-fire gags, and inventive sci-fi scenarios with confidence, creating a rhythm that keeps comedy and spectacle perfectly aligned. Each season has its own contained story, often in a new setting, such as Future Man season 3's Running Man spoof.

Future Man never wastes its premise. Whole episodes take detours into different eras and strange settings, milking the comedy of post-apocalyptic characters navigating utterly normal environments. The result is a show that honors the emotional beats of a sitcom while going bigger, weirder, and smarter than almost any modern sci-fi comedy.

Future Man Gets Time Travel Right By Keeping It Light

In many of the best time travel TV shows, multiverse storytelling often means weighty franchise mythology that’s so convoluted even ardent fans struggle to keep track. Future Man is the antidote. The show embraces paradoxes and causal loops as opportunities for jokes, letting the mechanics stay flexible but still emotionally satisfying.

Its light tone allows viewers to enjoy the chaos of shifting timelines without getting buried in exposition. The result is proof that time travel works best when it serves story and humor rather than the other way around.

Instead of characters being constrained by rules, lore, or timeline logistics, Future Man uses those elements as comedy engines. It keeps the stakes clear, the pacing tight, and the plot understandable, making time travel feel fun instead of like homework.

Josh Hutcherson Has Never Been Better Than Starring In Future Man

Josh Hutcherson has never been better than in Future Man, because like many of Hutcherson's best movies, the role plays directly to his strengths. He’s always had a knack for portraying the earnest everyman, and this show gives him three full seasons of material to explore that lane.

He’s also surrounded by a stacked comedic ensemble, including Seth Rogen (also executive producing), a pre-Severance Britt Lower, Haley Joel Osment, Ed Begley Jr., and Keith David. Even tiny roles pop, with video game store employees played by comedy heavyweights like Awkwafina.

Future Man was a Hulu original, but unfortunately, the series has been pulled from Hulu/Disney+, likely as part of a larger cost-cutting strategy around streaming libraries. However, for anyone who wants to check out this underrated time travel gem, Future Man is available for purchase on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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  Notable Projects The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Bridge to Terabithia