Tuesday 28 September 2021

Invincible season 2: plot, likely cast and everything we know

Invincible season 2: Key info

- Renewed for seasons 2 and 3 by Amazon
- Release date unknown but likely 2022
- Most cast members expected to return
- Mark will be heading into space, and his nemesis Angstrom Levy will feature
- Creator Robert Kirkman could see it running for up to 10 years

Invincible season 2 is one of Amazon Prime's most eagerly awaited shows – and the streamer knows it. We're unsure when the animated TV show's next entry is due to arrive, or even how far along its production is. Suffice to say, though, Amazon Studios knows we're waiting for it, as a recent troll-like tweet alluded to.

The first season of Invincible received rave reviews from fans and critics, so it's unsurprising that the R-rated superhero show will be back on our screens sometime soon. Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker's comic series is beloved by many, so it's great news that Amazon has renewed its TV adaptation for a further two seasons.

While we wait for more official news on Invincible season 2, what exactly do we know about it? Below, you'll find every piece of news and speculation about the next entry in the TV series. This includes new and returning cast members, possible story threads, when it may return to our screens and more

There are spoilers for the first season and the comics below, so proceed at your own risk. Don't blame us if you fly into an Omni-Man like rage if something is ruined for you.

Release date: There's no set release date for Invincible season 2 yet. Animation tends to have a long production turnaround, but we're hopeful that it'll arrive next year.

Cast: We fully expect the existing all-star cast to return, including Steven Yeun as Mark Grayson, but no official announcements have been made.

Plot: Robert Kirkman has confirmed that Invincible season 2 will take us into space and that we'll meet Angstrom Levy, Mark's nemesis from the comics. 

Future seasons: Invincible may have been renewed for seasons 2 and 3, but Kirkman has teased it could run for up to a decade. With 144 issues of the comic to adapt, we can certainly see that happening.

Invincible season 2 release date

Invincible season 2 release date: 2022?

Mark Grayson prepares to do battle in Invincible season 1's finale

(Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

Currently, there isn't a confirmed release date for Invincible season 2.

Invincible's second instalment was announced on April 29, though, so there's every chance that development has already begun. Kirkman and the series’ executive team are sure to have had discussions on what plot points to build the next season around (more on this later), and we imagine concept art and storyboarding will have started, too.

Animated shows can get an early renewal behind-the-scenes because of the long turnaround it takes to make further episodes, so it's possible that it's further along than we think. We'd like to hope it is, solely for the fact that season 2 would be here earlier than expected then.

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Even so, we don’t expect to see Invincible season 2 take flight before the second half of 2022. Unless the creative team crunches on it to release the show early next year, we would be surprised to see arrive any sooner. A show like this needs as much care and attention to detail as possible, so that’s what we’re hedging our bets on.

Speaking during a Skybound Xpo virtual panel for Invincible season 1 in July, which you can view on YouTube, Kirkman also kept schtum on when we might see season 2, so it sounds like it'll be a while yet.

It seems that Amazon, or Invincible's creators, at least, are well aware that fans are eager for Invincible's next instalment as well. A tweet on the official Invincible Twitter account perfectly sums up how we're all feeling during the gap between seasons 1 and 2, even if it seems like a bit of trolling on the part of Invincible's social media team:

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Invincible season 2 cast

Invincible season 2 cast

Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) and Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs) flying in Invincible

(Image credit: Amazon Studio)

No casting confirmations have been made, but we’d expect season 1’s main players to return:

  • Steven Yeun as Mark Grayson/Invincible
  • J.K. Simmons as Nolan Grayson/Omni-Man
  • Sandra Oh as Debbie Grayson
  • Zazie Beetz as Amber Bennett
  • Gillian Jacobs as Samantha Eve Wilkins/Atom Eve
  • Andrew Rannells as William Clockwell
  • Walton Goggins as Cecil Stedman
  • Jason Mantzoukas as Rex Sloan/Rex Splode
  • Ross Marquand as Rudy Conners, Kursk and Bi-Plane
  • Mark Hamill as Art Rosenbaum
  • Khary Payton as Markus Grimshaw/Black Samson
  • Malese Jow as Kate Cha/Dupli-Kate
  • Grey Griffin as Shrinking Rae and Amanda (Monster Girl's human form)
  • Kevin Michael Richardson as Monster Girl/the Mauler Twins
  • Seth Rogen as Allen the Alien
  • Mahershala Ali as Titan

It’s possible that we may see other voice actors reprise their roles outside of the main cast, too. 

Zachary Quinto was the voice of Robot in season 1, but it’s unclear if he'll be needed again. As we saw in the first season, Robot is the artificial host body of Rudy Conners, an individual whose genetic defects mean he’s unable to live outside of his saline tank. With Rudy’s consciousness being transferred into his new clone body in season 1 episode 7, Ross Marquand has taken over vocal duties for Rudy. 

So we don't know if Quinto will return. Robot has a big role to play in the comics, but we're unsure if those events will be part of season 2, season 3 or beyond.

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Other actors who may return include Chris Diamantopoulos (Doc Seismic), Fred Tatasciore (Kill Cannon), Clancy Brown (Damien Darkblood), Jeffrey Donovan (Machine Head), Ezra Miller (D.A. Sinclair) and Michael Dorn (Battle Beast and Thokk). Kirkman has hinted at some of their returns (more on this below) but we're unsure who will do so yet.

As for new cast members, Kirkman has expressed interest in seeing some more of The Walking Dead TV series’ cast in future seasons. Yeun, Marquand, Laurie Cohan, Michael Cudlitz, Sonequa Martin-Green and Lennie James have appeared in various roles already, but Kirkman wants more Walking Dead stars to lend their talents to the animated show.

Speaking to ComicBook.com, Kirkman said: "I can't think of an actor on The Walking Dead I wouldn't want to work with again. It's an amazing group of actors. Andrew Lincoln, Danai Gurira, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Jeffrey Dean Morgan...there's not really anyone I wouldn't want to bring in." 

Invincible season 2 plot

Invincible season 2 plot

The new Guardians of the Globe line-up led by Robot and Rex Splode in Invincible

(Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

The comic series is a fun but at-times confusing one. There are many directions that Invincible season 2 could go in, but we already have an idea of what the next instalment could entail. This is based on the season 1 finale and some hints from the series' official Twitter account.

First, the Invincible season 1 finale. Omni-Man was supposed to conquer the planet for the Viltrumite Empire but, after realizing that he couldn’t kill Mark and, by proxy, enslave humanity for his people, he tearfully heads out into space for an unknown destination.

Season 2 is should pick up this plot thread. Mark will be tasked with keeping Earth safe from the invading Viltrumites and help the Coalition of Planets stop the former from carrying out their universe-wide expansion. Mark already knows that a fleet is on its way thanks to Allen the Alien’s warning and, with Allen having a more prominent role in the comics from this point on, we can expect the duo's friendship to grow throughout season 2.

We should also find out where Omni-Man/Nolan has gone. In the comics, Nolan flies off to invade another planet, which he hopes will act as recompense – with the Viltrum Empire – for deserting his posting on Earth. There’s a lot more for the TV series to cover regarding Mark and Nolan’s relationship, which continues to be explored extensively in the comics, too. We’ll be here forever if we dive too deep into this father-son bond so, for now, we’ll say we hope to see some of J.K. Simmons’ Nolan next season.

As an offshoot of the above, the show should be entering cosmic territory in season 2 as well. Expect stranger worlds, weirder characters and a universe-spanning plot to be translated from page to screen.

Season 1's final episode also teased other potential subplots for its successor. We should see more of the Sequids storyline, which didn’t get an official conclusion. We know that a Martian has infiltrated Earth after he traded places with one of the human astronauts. In tandem to that, the astronaut who was left behind on Mars is now being controlled by the Sequids, which could spell bad news for Earth if this parasitic race charts a course for the blue planet.

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We may see Titan and Battle Beast’s stories fleshed out in more detail, too. The last time we saw the pair, they had taken over Machine Head’s criminal organization and teleported away from Earth respectively. Their tales continue in the comics, and Kirkman has already alluded to fan favorite Battle Beast getting more screen time in Amazon’s adaptation. The Flaxans also look like they'll return, despite Omni-Man's rampage across their home planet in episode 2.

One interesting piece of news concerns story elements that didn’t even make it into Invincible’s comic run. In a chat with Beyond the Trailer, Kirkman revealed that he hoped to include storylines in the TV show that he couldn’t fit into the graphic novels when he was writing them. One example that Kirkman gives relates to Damien Darkblood, who was banished back to Hell by Cecil Stedman in episode 4. It’s unclear if this will form part of season 2, though.

Finally, Kirkman himself has revealed more of where season 2’s plot could go and it could include arguably Mark’s biggest nemesis from the comics – Angstrom Levy.

Check out Kirkman's confirmation that Levy will be part of season 2 below:

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Following on from that announcement, Kirkman reiterated that Levy will be part of season 2's story.

Speaking during the virtual Skybound Xpo Invincible panel (where he declined to say when season 2 would arrive), Kirkman said: "He [Levy] really shakes things up. If you're familiar with the comics and you've watched the TV show, you'll get a sense of where we're going with the second season, especially if you think really hard about how we adapted the story in the first season."

For fans of the TV show only, Kirkman also teased that there would be some "crazy stuff coming", while Jason Mantzoukas revealed that he can't wait for season 2 to "introduce more villains... like Thragg" and more of the comic series' intergalactic elements.

Invincible season 2: how many seasons will there be?

How many seasons will Invincible get?

Omni-Man gives Mark Grayson some hard hitting advice in Invincible season 1

(Image credit: Amazon Studios)

In total, there are 144 Invincible comics, which spanned 15 years of Kirkman and Walker’s careers. The TV adaptation altered the order of certain plot points for season 1, but the first eight episodes only covered the first 23 issues. If a similar trajectory is maintained for future seasons, Invincible would end around the season 7 or 8 mark.

According to Kirkman, however, there could be more or less than that. Speaking to ScreenRant, he said that the series’ creative team has a “rough roadmap for where things from the comics will fall”. Additionally, Kirkman told Inverse that he “could see it going for five… seven… even 10 years. Maybe we run out of comic books and… we do 100 seasons.”

Of course, that last number is Kirkman being excited about his own property, but we could certainly see Invincible running for at least five seasons. If audiences want more, Amazon would be silly to end it after three seasons.

After all, Amazon has had major success with its live-action series based around another R-rated comic book in The Boys. Invincible could chart a similar course and, in the process, make Amazon Prime Video the go-to streamer for mature, comic book adaptations.

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