Prime Video heard our cries and decided to cut the lead times between seasons of Invincible, which could not make me any happier as Invincible season 3 is incredible. Picking up not long after the devastating events from Angstrom Levy’s (Sterling K. Brown) assault on his family, Mark Grayson/Invincible (Steven Yeun) dutifully prepares for the future invasion from the Viltrumite empire. Streaming on Prime Video starting on February 6th with three episodes, Invincible season 3 is another extraordinary tale of Mark Grayson and much more.
[Warning: This review contains spoilers for season 1 and season 2 of Invincible!]
Invincible season 3 continues the tradition of shock and awe
The series, similar to Prime Video’s own The Boys, is not shy about showing the dark side of a world with enhanced individuals and the stakes that come with them. There are many things to consider, such as the everlasting effects of the fight between Invincible and his dad, Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons).
Mark is now training hard under the supervision of Cecil Stedman (Walton Goggins) and has the full weight of the GDA to push him beyond his limits. Now that Oliver (Christian Convery) is fully adopted and integrated into the Grayson household, Debbie (Sandra Oh) is once again contending with having to raise another child of Nolan’s.
Even at the first episode’s conclusion, not everything meets Mark’s standards, and he must decide whether to continue partnering with the GDA. Beyond Mark, Nolan and Allen the Alien (Seth Rogen) remain prisoners to the other Viltrumite warriors from season 2. They get a fair share of screen time in perhaps the most fun and bloody sequence I’ve witnessed in Invincible season 3. The return of a mighty being in this episode made it an even more delightful progression of action.
New characters, such as Aaron Paul’s Powerplex and Simu Liu’s Multi-Paul, are tragic
A strength of Invincible is the sheer ability to outdo themselves with how they grab incredibly talented and well-known actors to do voice on the show. There are several new additions in this season, but the standouts have to be Aaron Paul as Powerplex and Simu Liu as Multi-Paul (brother to Dupli-Kat, who is voiced by Malese Jow).
Not much can be revealed about Paul’s Powerplex, but the rage and intensity he pushes through his strained voice performance are especially pronounced. In a moment of panic, Powerplex makes a desperate move to get Invincible’s attention. The decision is poorly thought out, and Powerplex’s uncalculated move backfires. Although he doesn’t appear in the season and not for too long, his pain and story are heavily loaded.
Liu, as Multi-Paul, was in an entirely different situation that induced similar feelings to Powerplex. As a brother to one of the Guardians of the Globe, you’d expect him to have the same tendencies as his sister, Dupli-Kate. Unfortunately, neither his life nor his decisions went in the right direction, which ended disastrously for Multi-Paul. It took a slight adjustment to acclimate myself to Liu’s new role, which worked much quicker than his turn as the antagonist in Atlas.
Invincible season 3 elevates the series’ momentum
Looking back at the first two seasons of Invincible, we first find out that the Viltrumites’ numbers are becoming dangerously low. Nolan’s assignment to Earth was to accomplish two things: primarily conquer the planet Earth for the Viltrumite empire, and to try to boost the numbers of Viltrumites. Although Mark wasn’t initially the plan, his powers manifesting in his teenage years may have convinced Nolan of the viability of this venture. As seen in season 2, Nolan even has another child, Oliver, who could potentially get powers of his own one day.
Various villains and enemies from earlier seasons reappear, sowing tension for Mark and the other heroes in the show. Invincible season 3 amazingly weaves them in for added stress that will surely have disastrous ramifications for multiple people. After killing Angstrom Levy, Mark has a distraught outlook on his superhero profession that sometimes puts him at odds with himself and others. The way the season explores this inner conflict is perhaps the most interesting subject that imposes self-restraint on Mark and puts innocents at harm’s risk.
The episodes I’ve screened so far of Invincible season 3 are absolutely packed, and a few surprises definitely remain behind the curtain. With all the setup established in these episodes, the latter half of Invincible will be wild. There are so many small triumphs, exhilarating returns, and shocking reveals, teeing up another fantastic finish for the season.
Invincible season 3 releases this week on Prime Video! Are you all caught up with the first two? Are you excited to see the return of Invincible and Omni-Man? Let us know on social media @mycosmiccircus, or @TheCosmicCircus.com on Bluesky, or join our official Discord!
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