Kristen Bell as Joanne in Nobody Wants This to the left in the background and Adam Brody as Noah in Nobody Wants This to the right in front in a combined image in front of a blurred purple and red background Netflix’s popular new romantic comedy show, Nobody Wants This, gave Adam Brody a rom-com comeback I was absolutely delighted to see. In Nobody Wants This, Brody plays Rabbi Noah, who ends up falling for Joanne (Kristen Bell), a sex and relationships podcast host. There is a true story behind Nobody Wants This, although Bell and Brody certainly bring something special to their roles, as do several other Nobody Wants This cast members.

This was particularly delightful to see, as Adam Brody has had a nearly two-decades-long hiatus from major romantic comedy roles such as this one. By comparison, Kristen Bell has been in several romantic comedies prior to Nobody Wants This, including as recently as 2022 with The People We Hate at the Wedding. Brody’s stellar performance in Nobody Wants This and his older roles from the 2000s make it clear that it’s time for Brody to take on more of these roles, and I sincerely hope he will.

Nobody Wants This Gives Adam Brody A Big Comeback After His 2000s TV Drama Success

Adam Brody as Seth Cohen at Seth and Summer's wedding in The O.C. Adam Brody wearing a Christmas sweater in The OC Summer and Seth, played by actors Rachel Bilson and Adam Brody, in The OC. Dave (Adam Brody) and Lane (Keiko Agena) kiss on Gilmore Girls. Dave and Lane standing next to each other in Gilmore Girls Adam Brody as Seth Cohen at Seth and Summer's wedding in The O.C. Adam Brody wearing a Christmas sweater in The OC Summer and Seth, played by actors Rachel Bilson and Adam Brody, in The OC. Dave (Adam Brody) and Lane (Keiko Agena) kiss on Gilmore Girls. Dave and Lane standing next to each other in Gilmore Girls

Adam Brody has had a number of significant roles in recent years, including as the older version of Freddy Freeman (also called “Super Hero Freddy”) in the Shazam! movies and as recurring character Derek in the comedy sitcom Single Parents that concluded in 2020. In terms of romantic comedies, though, Brody’s peak was arguably in the early to mid-2000s. During that era, Brody played a major role as Seth Cohen in The O.C. and had a romantic arc as Dave Rygalski in Gilmore Girls.

Nobody Wants This has held steady with a Rotten Tomatoes score in the 93-95% range since it debuted.

Nobody Wants This therefore marks Brody’s first major rom-com TV show role in nearly two decades, particularly one that has proven this popular in so short a time. Nobody Wants This has held steady with a Rotten Tomatoes score in the 93-95% range since it debuted, which is a truly impressive feat. It has also been praised for a range of things, from the individual performances of its two leading characters to the natural chemistry the couple has on screen.

Nobody Wants This Is A Reminder Of How Great Adam Brody Is As A Romantic Lead

Noah looks at Joanne before their first kiss in Nobody Wants This. Noah and Joanne kiss while standing on the sidewalk in Nobody Wants This. Kristen Bell and Adam Brody having a conversation in Nobody Wants This Noah looks at Joanne before their first kiss in Nobody Wants This. Noah and Joanne kiss while standing on the sidewalk in Nobody Wants This. Kristen Bell and Adam Brody having a conversation in Nobody Wants This

Given how fantastic Adam Brody was in Nobody Wants This, I’m genuinely surprised it’s taken so long for him to play a role such as this one again. Noah was charming, handsome, funny, and compelling as Joanne’s love interest, and he fit the bill in many ways for a classic rom-com protagonist. While, yes, this was partially excellent writing and the ability to play off of Kristen Bell’s own brilliant acting, this is also a reflection of who Adam Brody is as an actor and the types of roles he can play.

Brody so clearly shined in Nobody Wants This that I can’t imagine why this wouldn’t be a target genre in his career.

This makes it all the more confusing that Brody’s filmography has had this massive gap when it comes to leading roles in romantic comedies. Brody has consistently been acting since the early 2000s, as mentioned, so it isn’t for lack of work; it seems Brody just wasn’t booking or perhaps wasn’t seeking those roles. In either case, that remains confounding to me. Brody so clearly shined in Nobody Wants This that I can’t imagine why this wouldn’t be a target genre in his career.

I Really Hope Adam Brody Gets More Leading Rom-Com Roles After Nobody Wants This

Joanne lays her head on Noah's shoulder while holding a dog on her lap in Netflix's Nobody Wants This.

Following Brody’s performance in Nobody Wants This, and the overwhelming popularity of the show, I’m hoping to see Adam Brody more consistently playing romantic comedy roles. On the one hand, this could come in a possible Nobody Wants This season 2. At present, a second season has not been confirmed; however, there’s plenty of public pressure for the show to be renewed for another season because it was so beloved.

I’d be just as delighted to see Brody take on brand-new rom-com roles, though. Nobody Wants This was proof of how successfully Brody can pull off such a role in the present day, and, ideally, that would mean him appearing in romantic comedy shows and movies whether Nobody Wants This gets a second season or not. This notion is particularly exciting to me given Brody’s age.

Brody was obviously wonderful in the early 2000s roles he played, particularly his very popular performance in The O.C. As great as he was when playing these teenage rom-com characters, though, he has so much thrilling potential as an actor now in his 40s. Nobody Wants This reinforces that unique, complex stories about romantic relationships for characters in their 30s and 40s can be just as popular as stories about younger characters, and that could mean a bright future for Adam Brody in other romantic comedies—and I certainly hope it does.