Steven Yeun is currently riding high on his wins for the Netflix limited series Beef and the rave review his animated show Invincible is receiving. Yeun won the Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Actor for his role in Beef, which he starred along with Ali Wong. He portrays the titular character in the superhero show Invincible.
A live-action adaptation of Invincible has been in the works for years, with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg set to direct. Based on the popular comics by Robert Kirkman, the Invincible film was in development even before the animated show was produced. While the makers confirmed that the film was still happening, Steven Yeun implied that he would not be joining if the film got made.
A Live-Action Invincible Film Is Still In Development
The second season of the R-rated superhero show, Invincible, also received positive responses much like the original, and was lauded for its writing and faithfulness to the source material. The show was based on the comics of the same name by Robert Kirkman, who was also known for creating the comics The Walking Dead and Marvel Zombies.
A live-action adaptation of the comics was first being developed even before the show. The film was set to be directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who also serve as executive producers for the show. The film was still in development, with Seth Rogen mentioning that the animated show had a huge influence on the film. He said to Comicbook,
“[Invincible] was something not a lot of people, in general, had heard of before the animated series. There was a live-action ‘take’ that was different from the animated ‘take,’ as it were. And then the animated show came out that was very faithful to the comic and was incredibly popular.”
Hence, Seth Rogen, mentioned that they were trying to adapt the animated version into a live-action film as the show had gained a large following and they were faithful to the comics. The film was being developed at Universal Studios. Rogen mentioned,
“At that point, it seemed like maybe doing a live-action take that was good but very different would be weird, and maybe not acknowledging the things that people liked about the animated version. Then in our heads, the live-action ‘take’ seemed more like it should feel like a live-action adaptation of the cartoon. Which is a direct adaptation of the comic.”
Though there was no confirmation on when the film would actually be released or who would be involved, comic book writer Robert Kirkman assured fans that it was in active development.
Also read: Steven Yeun Achieves a Major Career Milestone After Quitting His Role as Sentry in MCU
Steven Yeun Might Not Appear In A Live-Action Invincible Film
Steven Yeun won his first Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for his performance in the Netflix original miniseries Beef. The show also won the awards for Best Limited Series or Anthology, with Yeun winning the award as he was an executive producer along with his co-star Ali Wong.
Yeun had an eventful 2023 as he returned to his voice-acting role for Invincible. The superhero show also starred J K Simmons, Sandra Oh, and Gillian Jacobs in lead roles. While the show received positive responses, Steven Yeun hinted at his not being able to reprise his role in the live-action adaptation of the animated show. He said to ScreenRant,
“Well, I am 40…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?”
Steven Yeun seems to be averse to live-action superheroes as he also recently dripped out of the Marvel film Thunderbolts. Though his casting was never officially confirmed, Yeun mentioned that he had to pull out due to the delays caused by the SAG-AFTRA strikes.
