Damon Wayans Jr. is stepping into dramatic territory.
Wayans Jr. has been cast as the lead in NBC’s upcoming drama pilot Puzzled, a crime series inspired by Danielle Trussoni’s Puzzle Master book series.
The project, which was picked up by NBC in January, centers on Mike Brink, a once-promising college athlete whose life changes after surviving a tragic fire. The incident leaves him with a traumatic brain injury that results in Acquired Savant Syndrome — a rare condition that gives him extraordinary abilities in puzzle-solving, higher-level mathematics, and pattern recognition.
Instead of following a conventional path, Mike uses those skills to make a living betting on sports. But the series will see him pulled into assisting local law enforcement, using his unique way of seeing the world to crack complex criminal cases. Puzzled marks a notable tonal shift — positioning Wayans Jr. at the center of a procedural drama rather than an ensemble comedy.
The pilot is written and executive produced by Joey Falco, whose credits include Charmed and Sleepy Hollow. Jordan Cerf of Linden Entertainment will also executive produce, with Trussoni attached as a producer. The studio behind the project is Universal Television.
Behind the scenes, Wayans Jr. operates under a first-look deal with CBS Studios through his Two Shakes Entertainment banner. Under that agreement, he starred in and executive produced the CBS multi-cam comedy Poppa’s House and currently hosts and executive produces the game show Raid the Cage.
At its core, Puzzled taps into a familiar procedural framework — a gifted outsider helping law enforcement solve cases — but with a neurological twist. Acquired Savant Syndrome remains a rare and little-understood condition, and the series appears poised to explore how trauma can reshape identity, ability, and purpose.
Wayans Jr. is widely known for his comedic work, including roles in Happy Endings and New Girl, as well as films like Let’s Be Cops, The Other Guys, and The Harder They Fall. He recently appeared in Netflix features Players and Kinda Pregnant and has a recurring role on Apple TV+’s Shrinking.
For Wayans Jr., it’s an opportunity to stretch into leading-man dramatic territory while still centering a character whose brilliance is unconventional, unpredictable, and deeply human.
The series joins a busy pilot season for NBC, which has significantly expanded its development slate this year. If picked up to series, Puzzled could position NBC with a character-driven crime drama anchored by a performer audiences already know — but haven’t quite seen like this before.