Updated (April 5th, 2024): The article has been updated with recent statements from Robert Kirkman and others involved with Invincible Season 3 about the production and where the story is going after the finale of Season 2.
With Invincible Season 2 having come to an end, what can fans expect from the series' eventual release of Season 3?
Based on the comics written by Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, Invincible has been a breath of animated fresh air for the superhero genre, providing fans with a mature, subversive original comic book story.
Following the adventures of Mark Grayson (aka the super-powered Invincible), Season 2 got into some heady stuff, addressing the Multiverse and bringing in more interstellar elements, but it also always came back to the very personal struggle of its titular hero.
[ Full Cast of Invincible Season 2: Every Main Character & Voice Actor (Photos) ]
When Is Invincible Season 3 Releasing?
No official release date has been announced for Invincible Season 3, but there has been some indication when fans can expect the show to return following its sophomore effort.
In an exclusive conversation with The Direct, Invincible executive producer Simon Racioppa revealed they are "deep" into work on Season 3, hinting the gap between Season 2 and 3 will "not be the same wait [as] between 1 and 2:"
"Amazon picked up two and three together. So, we are deep in Season 3 at this point. So I can't tell you exactly [when], but I can tell you it will not be the same wait between [seasons] 1 and 2... We're well in progress on Season 3, and it's coming along great."
This sentiment was echoed by series creator Robert Kirkman has made it clear, "The gap between Season 1 and 2 is the longest gap we should ever have:"
"The realities of animation may make that a little difficult, but what I can guarantee is that the gap between Season 1 and 2 is the longest gap we should ever have, you know, barring some unforeseen catastrophe."
He continued, that fans should expect future seasons of the show to release "every 18 months or 16 months or 13 months:"
"It may be every 18 months or 16 months or 13 months or every 12 months. We’re still trying to figure that out."
That would mean audiences should expect Invincible Season 3 sometime between November 2024 and April 2025 (12-18 months after Season 3's premiere).
A third season of the hit series was first announced back in 2021, alongside the reveal of Season 2.
At the time, Kirkman told Variety, "I’m extremely thankful to Amazon for the support and dedication they’ve put behind Invincible" and that the team is "beyond excited to continue this story for at least two more seasons:"
“I’m extremely thankful to Amazon for the support and dedication they’ve put behind 'Invincible.' The comic book is truly a love letter to a genre that Cory (Walker) and I grew up reading and loving, and it’s been a gratifying journey to watch our characters come to life again through the animated series. We’re beyond excited to continue this story for at least two more seasons.”
As for anything beyond that third season, nothing has been publicly greenlit as of yet.
But it has been mentioned that if Kirkman and the Invincible team want to tell the whole comic book story (which they seem to be doing), they have enough material to "run for seven or eight seasons:"
Variety: "You’ve said that the full arc of the comic could run for seven or eight seasons. Now that you’ve got your production rhythms back up from the COVID shutdown, is there hope to have a new season every year?"
Kirkman: "That is the goal."
Who Is Returning in Invincible Season 3?
Two Seasons in, Robert Kirkman and the Invincible brain trust have stuck to the source material pretty tightly so far, one can assume much of the Season 2 cast will be back for the upcoming third season.
Of course, paramount of this ensemble is Steven Yuen who will reprise his role as Mark Grayson/Invincible, as he deals with the fallout of his actions of Season 2.
A few other big names likely to play heavily in Season 3 will be Gillian Jacobs as Samantha Eve Wilkins/Atom Eve (the hero whose Multiversal variant revealed her feelings towards Mark in Season 2), Walton Goggins as Cecil Stedman (the calculating head of the Global Defense Agency), and J.K. Simmons as Omni-Man (the all-powerful superhero father of Mark Grayson).
Other mainstays from the first two seasons to expect in Invincible Season 3 include:
- Sandra Oh - Deborah "Debbie" Grayson
- Zazie Beetz - Amber Bennett
- Jason Mantzoukas - Rex Sloan/Rex Splode
- Khary Payton - Markus Grimshaw/Black Samson
- Ross Marquand - Robot, Abraham Lincoln/The Immortal, & Aquarus
- Zachary Quinto - Rudolph “Rudy” Connors
- Chris Diamantopoulos - Donald Ferguson
- Mark Hamill - Art Rosenbaum
- Andrew Rannells - William Clockwell
- Peter Cullen - Thaedus
- Seth Rogan - Allen the Alien
How Did Season 2 of Invincible End?
After telling a (fairly) down-to-earth story in Season 1, Invincible blew things in Season 2, introducing Multiversal elements as well as a broader taste of the cosmos.
Throughout Season 2, several major plot threads were explored. Omni-Man/Nolan Grayson was imprisoned by his own brutal alien race the Viltrimites, it was revealed Mark had a younger half-brother who is now living on Earth, and Mark has decided to focus on his superhero effort, calling things off with his girlfriend Amber and setting aside the Mark part of his life for now.
The series' second season culminated however in a clash across the Multiverse with the reality-hopping Angstrom Levy. Levy, who heralded from a world where Invincible and his father Omni-Man had enslaved the human race, arrived in the prime universe the series is set in to confront the young hero.
This resulted in Mark and Levy having a final confrontation in a desolate reality covered in white sand. As Mark did whatever he could to protect his mother and new alien brother, he crossed a moral line, beating the Multiversal villain to a pulp.
Standing over Levy's bloodied and battered corpse, Mark breaks down. He for the first time sees glimpses of the uncontrollable rage of his father and is terrified by that.
Just as he begins to realize what he is down, Mark is visited by a Guardians of the Glode superhero team from another universe. Having been looking for their version of Invisible (who is missing), this team helps Mark get back home.
But just as he steps through the portal back to his Earth, the alternate universe version of Gillian Jacobs Atom Eve reveals her hero has feelings for Mark, something that is likely to be the same in his universe.
Season 2 ends with Angstrom Levy dead, Omni-Man still in prison, and Mark - who is hellbent on protecting Earth from any threats - grappling with the line he crossed against his latest foe.
What Might Happen in Invincible Season 3?
Season 3 will surely continue Invincible's trend of solid superhero storytelling, slowly building Robert Kirkman's comic book universe.
The biggest story beat likely to come from Season 3 is the continued emotional struggle of Mark following his battle with Angstrom Levy.
This will likely send the character into an identity crisis of sorts, leaving plenty of opportunity for an evil force to take advantage of the weakened hero (a la the black-suit Spider-Man storyline).
Mark will also likely have to deal with a potential reunion with his father, Nolan (aka Omni-Man). It was set up at the end of Season 2 that Omni-Man - who remains in prison - is likely to get out very soon thanks to a plan hatched by Allen the Alien (Seth Rogan).
How Mark deals with the return of his dad on the planet he swore to keep him from remains to be seen, but there will almost certainly be some sort of fallout.
As for the Viltrumites, the seeds have been planted for a major showdown between Mark/Invincible and the bloodthirsty warriors of Viltrum. Thankfully, though Season 3 will likely see Mark get a bit of help, as Season 2 introduced his little brother.
Mark's yet-to-be-named brother is the offspring of his father (Omni-Man) and a Thraxan, born after Mark and his Dad's head-to-head battle that ended Season 1.
In the comics, the young Viltrumite develops his own powers, taking on the name Oliver, and being raised on Earth by Mark's mother Debbie. Oliver eventually goes on to become the superhero Omni-Boy (or Kid Omni-Man).
Given the accelerated aging of Thraxans, there is a pretty good chance Season 3 of the Invincible show at least starts to lay the groundwork for Oliver's superhero debut.
Invincible is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
