After almost a two-and-a-half-year wait since its first season, Invincible Season 2 is finally arriving on Prime Video. The series, featuring some big names like Steven Yeun, J. K. Simmons, and Sandra Oh, received critical acclaim for its animation, action sequences, and storyline. The creator of Invincible, Robert Kirkman, is confident that the show can rekindle the audience’s interest in the superhero genre with its unique approach to the comics.
According to Kirkman, Invincible stands out from the usual MCU or DC projects by unapologetically retaining the edgy stuff from the comics. He explained that audiences got accustomed to the formulaic film adaptations of Marvel and DC and were even tired of it. However, Invincible provides a refreshing departure from what’s familiar.
Invincible Creator Believes His Series Offers A Fresh Take Amidst Superhero Fatigue
Robert Kirkman appeared for an interview with Variety to discuss the new season of Invincible. The first season was pretty dark and violent, and it definitely came as a shocker for the average MCU or DCEU fan. By the end of season one, Steven Yeun’s central character, Invincible, discovers that Omni-Man, played by J.K. Simmons, his father and a superhero, belongs to an alien race that seeks complete galactic control.
In his interview, Kirkman addressed how his adult animated series can still make a huge impact on an industry currently plagued by superhero fatigue. According to the comic book writer, the magic of superhero movies wore off after an excessive number of films dealing with the same themes or stories. Kirkman shared that it had become difficult for a new movie or series to offer audiences a fresh experience, but Invincible stands out in that regard.
Kirkman explained that the series came at a time when most audiences were well-versed in the superhero genre. When the audience started to assume that they knew how most stories in the genre unfolded, Invincible was able to deliver an unexpected shock value. Kirkman told Variety:
“Hopefully, it’s arriving at the exact right time. Invincible came around in comics when superhero-literate people knew exactly how superhero stories go. Invincible’s main goal was to say, “You think you know what superheroes do?” And the comic became very popular because of that. And so Invincible [the show] is coming at a time when the general audience is extremely superhero literate.”
Kirkman claims that further seasons of the show will continue to surprise the superhero-literate audience. The series has added 26 new members to its stellar cast in the second season. This includes Sterling K. Brown who will play the main villain, Angstrom Levy, in Season 2.
Before Invincible Creator, James Gunn Also Addressed Superhero Fatigue
James Gunn is currently tasked with relaunching a new DC cinematic universe with new stories for fan-favorite characters. Gunn addressed the biggest problem with the genre during an interview with Rolling Stone. The Guardians of the Galaxy director stated, “I think there is such a thing as superhero fatigue. I think it doesn’t have anything to do with superheroes.” Gunn believed that the low enthusiasm for the movies was a result of poorly conceived stories.
The Peacemaker director shared that despite fans loving a character, there should be some substance backing up the character. He explained that the recent movies underperformed mainly due to their focus on ‘bashing’ moments and VFX designs instead of meaningful storytelling. Gunn shared with Rolling Stone:
“We love Superman. We love Batman. We love Iron Man. Because they’re these incredible characters that we have in our hearts. And if it becomes just a bunch of nonsense onscreen, it gets really boring. If you don’t have a story at the base of it, just watching things bash each other, no matter how clever those bashing moments are, no matter how clever the designs and the VFX are, it just gets fatiguing, and I think that’s very, very real.”
James Gunn’s first project in the DCU will be Superman: Legacy, scheduled for release in 2025. Invincible Season 1 is now available for streaming on Prime Video.
