Prime Video’s Invincible brings the pages of Robert Kirkman’s long-run superhero comic to life in an adaptation that looks nearly identical to the source material. Although only 12 episodes have been released, Invincible has been highly praised by comic readers and newcomers to the world alike; it’s yet another testament to the creativity of The Walking Dead creator Kirkman and his partners in adaptation, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Invincible season 2 took a midseason break after only four episodes but is expected to return in Spring 2024.
Part of what makes Invincible such an exceptional adaptation of Kirkman’s work (and Rotten Tomatoes’ best-reviewed show of 2023) is its casting. Steven Yeun stars as Mark Grayson and works with an impressive roster of co-stars including J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, Zazie Beetz, and Gillian Jacobs. Invincible is coming to live-action, too, and Yeun recently addressed the possibility of making an appearance in that adaptation during an interview with Screen Rant:
Screen Rant: How far do you see that story going, and would you ever consider participating in a live-action version?
Steven Yeun: Well, I am 40 [Chuckles].
Screen Rant: You could be the dad!
Steven Yeun: Yeah, we’ll see. I love working with Robert. That comic is so great, and it goes so long and so deep. So, I’m excited to see that play itself out. Right now, we’re having a lot of fun making this show. Live action—who knows?
The Challenges Of Bringing Invincible Into Live-Action (And How It Could Work)
The Invincible live-action movie was first announced in 2017, and is set to be written and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Since then, very few updates have been shared; Robert Kirkman admitted in 2023 that the film is still in the development stage, with the creatives behind it still looking to “give the movie a reason for existing”. That does make sense as the film’s greatest challenge; the animated adaptation of Invincible brings the art style and plotlines of Kirkman’s comic book to life in a way very true to the original comic series, and a live-action film simply attempting to do the same could easily fall short of what’s already been made.
Robert Kirkman’s Invincible comic series also ran for 144 issues, and the first season of the Prime Video show covered about 13 of them across eight hour-long episodes. With the Invincible season 2 part 1 ending leaving plenty more story to tell, it’s difficult to imagine how the staggering length of the comic series can be adapted into a single two-hour movie or even a trilogy. With only one movie greenlit at the moment, it also seems as though Rogen, Goldberg, and Kirkman will have to make the most out of a single film.
Perhaps the best way to bring Invincible into live-action would be to tell a more focused story or offer a different take on the events of the series. When a faithful adaptation already exists, a property’s future iterations have an opportunity to play with that in ways that can be quite fulfilling (as fans of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off can attest). Especially given the fact that the Prime Video series may still be running as the film is made and released, Kirkman and co. may have an opportunity to experiment in live-action and save the more dedicated adaptation work for Invincible season 3 and beyond.
