Invincible (TV series)

Image
Caption	Title card as seen in the first episode
Creator	Robert Kirkman
Composer	John Paesano
Country	United States
Language	English
Num Seasons	3
Num Episodes	25
Runtime	45–55 minutes
Network	Amazon Prime Video
First Aired	2021-3-25
Last Aired	present

Invincible is an American adult animated superhero television series created by Robert Kirkman for the streaming service Amazon Prime Video, based on the Image Comics comic book series of the same name he co-created with Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley. It is produced by Skybound Entertainment, Wind Sun Sky Entertainment, Point Grey Pictures, and Amazon MGM Studios. The series follows teenager Mark Grayson and his transformation into a superhero under the guidance of his father, Nolan Grayson / Omni-Man, the most powerful superhero on the planet. During his transformation, Mark finds himself struggling between his personal life and superhero duties and is forced to prove that he can be the hero that his father is, unaware of a conspiracy that threatens the world and leaves him questioning the true nature of his role. Steven Yeun stars in the series as Mark/Invincible alongside Sandra Oh and J. K. Simmons as Mark's mother and father, respectively, while the remaining cast members have recurring roles.

Invincible premiered its eight-episode first season across March and April 2021, after which Amazon renewed the series for a second and third season. A prequel special, "Invincible: Atom Eve", was released in July 2023. The eight-episode second season was divided into two parts, first released in November 2023, then across March and April 2024. The eight-episode third season was released between February and March 2025. The fourth season is set to premiere on March 18, 2026. A fifth season has also been announced ahead of its release.

The series has received widespread critical acclaim, with praise for its animation, action sequences, story, voice performances (particularly Yeun, Oh, and Simmons), faithfulness to the comics, and emotional weight. It has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Annie Awards and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Animated Series.

Premise

Mark Grayson is a seemingly typical teenager whose father, Nolan, is the most powerful superhero on Earth. Shortly after his 17th birthday, Mark begins to develop powers of his own and learns how to wield them with help from his father, who turns out to not be as heroic as he thought, as he hides a dark secret, which starts to slip when he brutally murders the members of the world's greatest superhero team, the Guardians of the Globe.

Characters

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Main

Markus "Mark" Grayson / Invincible (voiced by Steven Yeun): The eponymous main character. After developing powers of super-strength and flight at 17 years old, Mark discovers the harsh realities of being a superhero.
Deborah "Debbie" Grayson (voiced by Sandra Oh): Mark's mother, Nolan's wife, Oliver's adoptive mother, and an experienced real estate agent who was once long-adjusted to being a superhero's spouse.
Nowl-Ahn / Nolan Grayson / Omni-Man (voiced by J. K. Simmons): Mark and Oliver's father and Debbie's husband. Born on the planet Viltrum, Omni-Man's parents died in his youth before he joined the Viltrum Empire's intergalactic expansion several thousand years ago. After arriving on Earth 20 years prior to the series, Omni-Man is considered the most powerful superhero on the planet with a civilian identity of a rich travel writer.

Recurring

Guest

Episodes

Season 1 (2021)

Special (2023)

Season 2 (2023–24)

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Season 3 (2025)

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Production

Development

A live-action film based on the Image Comics comic book series Invincible was revealed in April 2017 to be in development at Universal Pictures, with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who were fans of the comics, hired as the writers and directors. The duo were set to produce the film alongside James Weaver through their company Point Grey Pictures, while Invincible co-creator Robert Kirkman also joined to produce alongside David Alpert, Bryan Furst, and Sean Furst through his company Skybound Entertainment, which had a first-look deal with Universal for the film. However, when the series was announced, the film remained in hiatus, until on January 26, 2021, when it was revealed that the film was still in development and would exist separately from the series. In a 2023 interview, Rogen stated that the animated series has had a strong influence on the live-action film adaptation in development at Universal, which is essentially being developed as a live-action version of the animated series.

On August 11, 2017, Kirkman, with his company Skybound Entertainment, signed a deal with Amazon to develop various series for Amazon Prime Video. However, it was revealed that series that were already in production or development with other studios, would not be developed for Amazon. Kirkman revealed that he was interested on developing a series of the Invincible comic series, but that would not be possible at the moment because Universal was developing a film based on the comic series.

However, on June 19, 2018, it was announced that Amazon had given a series order to the project for a first season consisting of eight episodes. It was also revealed that the series would be animated and its episodes would be hour-long. Kirkman chose traditional hand-drawn animation, realizing from the CGI adaptation of Super Dinosaur that 3D modeling's lengthy and costly process would limit the number of new characters per episode. Robert Kirkman and Simon Racioppa serve as co-showrunners, with both also serving as executive producers alongside David Alpert, Margaret M. Dean, Catherine Winder, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg. Helen Leigh and Cory Walker serves as co-executive producers. Production companies involved with the series include Skybound Entertainment.

On April 29, 2021, after the release of the final episode of the first season, Amazon renewed the series for a second and third season. In April 2023, Kirkman stated that the second season would focus on Angstrom Levy, a supervillain with access to multiple dimensions. In April 2024, Amazon was reported to have renewed the series for a fourth and fifth season, although IGN subsequently reported this was not accurate. In May 2024, The Immortal voice actor Ross Marquand said that season 3 "is nearly finished" and would be released in early 2025. In July 2024, Amazon officially renewed the series for a fourth season. In July 2025, it was announced that Amazon had renewed the series for a fifth season.

Casting

On January 31, 2019, the cast of the series was revealed, with Steven Yeun to portray Mark Grayson / Invincible, J. K. Simmons portraying Nolan Grayson / Omni-Man; Sandra Oh, Mark Hamill, Seth Rogen, Gillian Jacobs, Andrew Rannells, Zazie Beetz, Walton Goggins, Jason Mantzoukas, Mae Whitman, Chris Diamantopoulos, Malese Jow, Kevin Michael Richardson, Grey Griffin and Max Burkholder also joining the cast of the series. On July 18, 2020, Kirkman confirmed the casting in a live video on Twitter.

Yeun and Oh are both of Korean descent. Oh's character Debbie Grayson was made to be Korean American in the animated adaptation, with her son Mark Grayson being half-Korean. Their Korean identity is not directly mentioned in the show, but a painting featuring Hangul text that reads is shown in the Grayson home. The decision came from a desire to increase diverse representations in the series. Similarly, Amber Bennett, Mark's ex-girlfriend, was made an African American teenager in the adaptation. The character of William, Mark's best friend, is openly gay.

In January 2025, it was announced that Aaron Paul, Simu Liu, Jonathan Banks, Kate Mara, Xolo Maridueña, John DiMaggio, Tzi Ma, Doug Bradley, and Christian Convery would join the voice cast for the third season.

In July 2025, it was announced that Matthew Rhys had been cast as Dinosaurus. In October that same year, it was announced that Lee Pace had been cast as Thragg. In January 2026, it was announced that Danai Gurira had been cast as Universa.

Animation and title sequence

When the show was confirmed to be animated, it was confirmed that Wind Sun Sky Entertainment and its partner company, Skybound North, would be animating and co-producing the series.

Kirkman praised the work of the show's animation studio, Maven Image Platform. Kirkman noted in particular the Guardians' deaths at the end of episode 1, and the fight between Mark and Omni-Man in episode 8. Two additional animation studios were brought on for season 2 according to an interview with Margaret Dean.

The series title sequence is recognized by appearing right where a character would have said "Invincible" for the first time at each episode. However, the title sequence also becomes bloodier with each episode. Kirkman revealed that he wanted to represent the dark days that lied ahead by using the increasingly bloody title cards. Racioppa revealed that he wanted each episode to be different from the previous ones to convince the audience to not skip it. The animation style borrows from the look of Saturday morning cartoons from the early 2000s, and has also been noted for its anime-like visuals and aesthetics.

The second season's title cards feature a similar progression, with a bloodied variant of the first season's title card cracking to uncover a black-and-blue design underneath.

The third season's title cards feature a glitch effect, followed by a completely new color palette and design of the title card from the previous episode, each representing an alternate version of Invincible's suits and respective variants.

Music

On December 2, 2020, it was revealed that John Paesano would be composing the score to the series.

Release

After Amazon ordered the first season of the series, it was confirmed that it would consist of eight episodes. On January 22, 2021, during a livestream celebrating the 18th anniversary of the first issue of Invincible, Kirkman revealed that the series would debut on March 25, 2021 (midnight EST), with the first 3 episodes. The remaining episodes would release weekly thereafter. On January 20, 2023, a teaser trailer was released, in which Steven Yeun and Seth Rogen as Invincible and Allen the Alien respectively discuss the upcoming season. During San Diego Comic-Con on July 21, 2023, a trailer for the second season was shown, and it was announced that part one of the second season would premiere on November 3, 2023, with part two debuting on March 14, 2024. It was also announced that a special episode, called Invincible: Atom Eve, would release later that day. The third season premiered on February 6, 2025 with its first three episodes, with the remaining five episodes released weekly. The fourth season is set to premiere on March 18, 2026.

Reception

Critical response

Invincible has received critical acclaim, with praise for its animation, performances, and writing. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of Invincible has a 98% approval rating, based on 88 critic reviews, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The site's consensus reads: "With bold animation, bloody action, and an all-star cast led by the charming Steven Yeun, Invincible smartly adapts its source material without sacrificing its nuanced perspective on the price of superpowers." Metacritic reported a score of 73 out of 100 based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews" for the first season. The second season has an approval rating of 100% based on 41 reviews, with an average rating of 8.4/10. The site's consensus reads: "Still as bracing as a punch to the face and invigorating with its vivid worldbuilding, Invincible is practically impervious to disappointing audiences in this sterling sophomore season." On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". The third season has an approval rating of 100% based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 8.3/10. The site's consensus reads: "Muddying the waters of justice and adding droplets of blood for good measure, Invincible and its titular hero reach their prime with this epic third season." On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 74 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Ben Travers of IndieWire gave the show a B rating, stating that "Kirkman's adaptation is provocative, surprising, and sometimes challenging, as it constantly tries to disrupt the accepted ideas of its genre, whether that's the superhero genre, the teen drama genre, or the misguided notion that animation is a genre unto itself." Kathryn VanArendonk of Vulture stated that "the series has a palpable 'more of an eight-hour movie' thing going on, and the potential of that model is that it will all coalesce in the end into this glorious, big, transfixing story" but also adds that "the pitfall is that it makes these opening episodes a little weaker; there are so many characters happening here, so many story threads to put in place, that it's hard to know what to invest in as a viewer." Caroline Framke from Variety commented: "Now, of course, Kirkman is the wildly successful co-creator and executive producer of 'The Walking Dead,' so even those who might not have picked up an 'Invincible' comic might be interested in this spry, hourlong animated series that somehow manages to be both snarky and earnest within the same breath." William Hughes from The A.V. Club praised the series for its animation and stated: "Funny, exciting, and emotionally smart—seriously, Sandra Oh is killing it here—Invincible isn't bulletproof. But, like its increasingly burdened hero, it's trying. And sometimes, in the superhero game, that's all you can really do." Bob Strauss from Datebook praised the show, commenting: "While you can't describe 'Invincible' as gritty, it does feel like the right kind of animated super-show for an era marked by Zack Snyder's dark-hued 'Justice League' reconstruction and Amazon's own, ultra-pathological take on the genre, 'The Boys.' It's as clean-looking as any program we grew up with, but it has the dirtier stuff we secretly wanted."

Siddhant Adlakha of IGN gave the first season an 8 out of 10, stating the season "is great, thanks to its unique action and strong character-centric gravitas" and that the show "combines familiar superhero tropes with unexpected gore and moving character dynamics, resulting in the year's most surprising superhero series." Alan Sepinwall from Rolling Stone stated: "As the series moves along, Kirkman and company begin introducing twists to what we think is the formula — perhaps too many. Even within three episodes, the number of reversals and secrets pile so high that it can be hard to invest in certain characters and scenes, rather than trying to guess what will come next." Roxana Hadadi from RogerEbert.com praised the series for its story and animation, commenting: "'Invincible' sets up those questions quickly and engagingly in these first three installments, wraps them in a mystery, and then splatters them with blood. It's not an entirely new approach for this genre, but the familiarity of 'Invincible' is forgivable in light of the confidence that both Kirkman and Yeun bring to the material. They're the reason to watch." Niv M. Sultan from Slant Magazine gave the first season 3.5 stars of 4, and commented, "Invincible recaptures what our current glut of superhero fiction largely loses sight of: the pleasure that superheroes must feel when wielding their powers. Not the sacred satisfaction of helping the downtrodden, but the id-centered thrills of soaring through the sky and inflicting hurt on those deemed deserving." Louis Chilton from The Independent gave the series 3 stars of 5 and stated, "Invincible often seems derivative; perhaps its ideas were more groundbreaking in the original early-2000s comics. Some of its characters are unapologetic parodies (the Batman facsimile "Darkwing", for example), and you could easily go through picking out elements or story ideas that have cropped up in Watchmen, or The Incredibles, or Sky High, or Misfits. But there are still some good bones to its premise, and just enough subversiveness to let you ignore the fact this is a story you've seen a hundred times before."

Accolades

Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Recipient	Result
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards	2021-8-22	Best Animated Series or Animated Television Movie	Invincible
Dorian TV Awards	2021-8-29	Best Animated Show	Invincible
Annie Awards	March 12, 2022	Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production	Jay Baker (for "Where I Really Come From")
February 17, 2024	Best Animated Special Production	Invincible: Atom Eve
February 21, 2026	Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production	Luke Asa Guidici, Matt Michael, Lea Carosella, and Liam Johnson ("I Thought You'd Never Shut Up")
Saturn Awards	October 25, 2022	Best Animated Television Series	Invincible
Primetime Emmy Awards	September 7–8, 2024	Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance		Sterling K. Brown as Angstrom Levy (for "I Thought You Were Stronger")
September 6–7, 2025	Steven Yeun as Invincible/Mark Grayson (for "What Have I Done")	Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Critics' Choice Television Awards	January 12, 2025	Best Animated Series	Invincible
Golden Reel Awards	February 23, 2025	Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Non-Theatrical Animation	Brad Meyer, Katie Jackson, Mia Perfetti, Natalia Saavedra Brychcy, Logan Romjue, Carol Ma (for "I Thought You Were Stronger")

In other media

The eighth episode of the series' first season spawned a popular Internet meme known as "Think, Mark". A 2022 promotional episode of the web series Death Battle! pit Invincibles Omni-Man against The Boys Homelander, with Amazon Studios' Head of Marketing Adam Bersin having partnered with Rooster Teeth to promote its series, previously including the second season of The Boys, also produced by Amazon. Consequently, both Omni-Man and Homelander were made available as playable characters in the 2023 video game Mortal Kombat 1, with J. K. Simmons reprising his role as the former. In November 2023, a role-playing video game titled Invincible Presents: Atom Eve was released; the game is loosely based on the animated series' continuity with some alterations and a new original story. In February 2024, a mobile game RPG titled Invincible: Guarding the Globe was released. In April 2024, Skybound was revealed to be internally developing an AAA video game based on Invincible. Over 30 employees were reported to be working on the game, which included industry veterans who had worked for Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard, and AMZ Games, while a fundraiser campaign was also being established. In June 2025, a fighting game titled Invincible VS was announced.

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