Actor Glen Powell is on the October cover of GQ and it is not what people expected. The magazine called the issue The State of The American Male and showed the Top Gun: Maverick star in costumes with exaggerated muscles that were meant to play on different ideas of masculinity in Hollywood. Instead of making a statement, it left most people scratching their heads.
The main photo showed him in a muscle suit that gave him giant legs sticking out of Calvin Klein briefs. At first glance, many thought he really built those legs in the gym, but then they noticed the weird proportions and even what looked like two belly buttons.
One person wrote: “I thought those legs were real for a second!” Another said: “Built like the Hulk from the waist down and like Bruce Banner from the waist up.”
Some online thought it was a fitness cover or maybe showing off a body transformation. When they realized the muscles were fake, opinions split. A few laughed at the absurd look, while others asked why GQ would even do this. One comment said: “Why didn’t they just hire a fit person instead of putting him in a fit suit?”
The article itself was supposed to be deeper. The photos were styled and shot to poke fun at how Hollywood has shifted between different versions of masculinity. It showed Powell as everything from a cowboy to a businessman and even the President. The idea was to make him the guy who could play any role that Hollywood demands. He even said, “I just find that it’s cool and tough to be open and vulnerable.”
Powell also has a new project coming. He stars in Chad Powers, a Hulu comedy about a fallen quarterback trying to get back his fame. He not only acts in it but also helped create it with writer Michael Waldron, and the series premieres September 30, 2025.
Online though, the talk was not about his career. Most of the focus stayed on the fake thighs and strange costumes. Some people said they hated the whole thing while others joked about it, but very few were even paying attention to the larger message GQ was trying to push.
