Invincible Season 3: A Deeper Dive into the Superhero Epic
TV's wildest superhero epic is back for more—and you don't want to miss an episode. One of television's most exciting, subversive, and well-written superhero stories is finally back. Invincible had a lengthy wait between its first and second season—more than two years—and upon its return split that second season in two, but now has returned for its third season less than a year later, and we're psyched and ready to see what Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) is going to get up to. Season 2 of Invincible took things in an absolutely brutal new direction, as Mark was forced to grapple with not only his own coming-of-age and increased strength, but the fallout of the situation with his father, Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons), at the end of season 1. Along the way, there were a lot more things in play—including a multiverse traveler named Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown) who came in peace, but eventually was driven mad and became a villain—and eventually, Mark was led down a dark path.
Mark Grayson's Journey: From Teen Hero to World Savior
Season 2 ends with Mark embracing his nature as a Viltrumite, and also embracing his status as Cecil's (Walton Goggins) best hope at saving the world. He's strong, but can get stronger. But the question remains: can Mark become the world's greatest hero and still retain any of his humanity? Can he balance the love triangle stuff he's got going on? Will he ever see his father again? What about his brother, Oliver, who's now living at home with him too? What's the new, supercharged, Allen the Alien getting up to?
There's lots going on in Invincible land, and season 3 will surely dive into all of it. And while you can always just dive into the extensive back catalogue of Invincible comics—and they're all great—we know you want to just see the show. So read below, and you can make sure you won't miss a single episode. Invincible episodes for season 3 will officially hit Prime Video on Thursday mornings at 3:00 AM EST. The next episode of Invincible season 3 will hit Prime Video on Thursday, February 13. Invincible Season 3 is seven episodes in total, the first three of which are now available to stream on Prime Video. That means there's four more weeks—and four more episodes of intergalactic, subversive, superhero mayhem—remaining in season 3 of Invincible.
Episode Release Schedule
- Episode 1, “You’re Not Laughing Now” — February 6
- Episode 2, “A Deal with the Devil” — February 6
- Episode 3, “You Want a Real Costume, Right?” — February 6
- Episode 4, “You Were My Hero” — February 13
- Episode 5, “This Was Supposed to Be Easy” — February 20
- Episode 6, “All I Can Say Is I’m Sorry” — February 27
- Episode 7, “What Have I Done?” — March 6
The New Villains and Allies of Invincible Season 3
Much like Spider-Man’s angry bout with the black suit, Mark dons a new costume in Invincible season 3 that dials up the aggression. The teenage superhero is distraught after he savagely murders Levy in season 2, which also coincided with the end of his relationship with Amber (Zazie Beatz). All the while, Director Cecil Stedman (Walton Goggins) remains concerned that a new legion of villains will take advantage of Mark’s emotional state. Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) joins the stellar voice cast for season 3 as a new supervillain, alongside Kate Mara (A Teacher), John DiMaggio (Futurama), Tzi Ma (Mulan), Xolo Maridueña (Blue Beetle), and Simu Liu (Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). J.K. Simmons is also returning as Omni-Man, as well as Sandra Oh as Mark’s mother, Debbie, and Zachary Quinto as the superhero Robot. The first three episodes of season 3 hit Amazon Prime Video on Thursday, February 6. The remaining five episodes will then roll out weekly every Thursday until the finale on March 13.
A New Generation of Heroes and Villains
The show introduces a host of new characters, expanding the universe and adding depth to the narrative. The addition of Aaron Paul as Powerplex, a villain seeking revenge, and Kate Mara as Becky Duvall, his accomplice, injects new energy into the already dynamic storyline. The casting choices are strategic, bringing recognizable faces to enhance the audience engagement. The arrival of these new characters raises the stakes even further, promising more intense conflicts and moral dilemmas for Mark and his allies.
Nurture vs. Nature: The Case of Oliver Grayson
As Invincible's little brother Oliver grows up, the shows asks whether whether nature or nurture determines who becomes a hero and who a villain. During the second season, Debbie took in Mark’s baby half-brother Oliver. I have to give props to Debbie for doing this. Not only is she raising the child her husband fathered with another woman, but she is raising an alien. There is no human half to this kid, he’s bright purple, and he could turn into anything. We get an opportunity to see nurture vs. nature in action. We have sort of seen that with Mark over the first two seasons, but Oliver is just a kid when he gets his powers, and we get to see how Debbie and Mark’s influences can help an alien lifeform have some humanity. After all, we have no idea what his mother’s people were actually like, except that they were insect-like and aged extremely quickly. While Oliver ages slower than his mother’s people, he still ages faster than humans. We open Invincible season 3 with him now looking like he’s around 8 or 9, rather than less than a year old. Seeing how different alien races behave makes the Invincible universe feel more believable and coherent. There is a lot going on around the solar system.
The Evolution of Brotherly Bonds
I also adore seeing Mark step up as an older brother. He remembers what it was like being that age and excited about being a superhero. All he wanted was his powers, and now he sees that it was probably a good thing that he didn’t get them until later. There are also some beautiful moments that connect to the good times Mark had with his father. Omni-Man was the bad guy, but that didn’t stop him from being a father to Mark, and before we found out what Omni-Man was doing, he was a good dad when it came to training him. Seeing Mark have some fun with that warmed my heart. While Oliver is part Thraxen, he is also part Viltrumite, and it’s this side that could take over everything. Mark questions Oliver having no empathy for lives that he has taken, but is that because he’s predisposed to be evil, or is he just a kid who is learning about right and wrong? Can Mark and Debbie’s influence help change who Oliver becomes? Can they explain the importance of human life? These are fraught questions for Mark, who's still dealing with the guilt of killing Angstrom Levy.
The Complexities of Relationships in a Superhero World
Look, I liked Mark and Amber together. There was nothing wrong with their relationship, but Amber couldn’t deal with the way Mark was always off saving the world. There was nothing wrong with Amber feeling like she was always second place and not being happy about that. Them breaking up was right for both of them. They each need someone who will understand them and meet their needs. So it wasn’t surprising to find out that Mark is interested in Atom Eve, and vice versa. And this wasn’t just because of Mark getting a visit from Eve’s older self from another world. While that did set the ball rolling, Mark realized that he loved Eve for who she is, in this world. There’s always been something there. My favorite part of Eve and Mark figuring things out was Eve being mad at her older self in the other universe. How could she spend decades being bitter that Mark didn’t say anything to her? I think we would all look at our future selves and judge them in some way. Eve’s thoughts are so incredibly human, and for once, she isn’t putting off a relationship because of Mark realizing he liked her. Yes, there’s the initial question, but Mark isn’t the one she’s mad at. Then there’s Eve telling Amber about her and Mark. This needed to happen. I hate drama for the sake of drama, which a lot of TV shows bring us. We would usually have this long drawn-out storyline of Mark and Eve trying to hide the relationship from Amber, but it wouldn’t make sense. It’s not like Mark left Amber for Eve. He didn’t cheat on her. Mark and Amber just weren’t suited for each other, and they both mutually agreed on that. Having Eve tell Amber about her and Mark and then Amber accept that and share she’s dating someone is mature and grown up. Thank you, Invincible, for avoiding the trope!
The Shifting Sands of Trust: Cecil Stedman's Complex Motives
Have we ever really trusted Cecil? When he found out that Omni-Man was a villain, he didn’t say a thing to Debbie and Mark. He could have warned them, but Debbie had to figure it all out for herself. Cecil has treated people to keep them alive without their consent, slowly taking pieces away from them. Invincible season 3 finally explains some of his backstory. We learn so much within the space of an episode. We learn about what happened to Cecil's face and how he took over the GDA. I don’t think there was anything unique or special about the storyline, but that’s okay. We don’t need something big and flashy for every single backstory. Although I will say thank you to the sweet backstory we got for the two bank robbers at the start of Episode 3. That reminds us that villains are sometimes made from their circumstances, as well as by their own actions. Back to Cecil. He is not the good guy. While he’s not fully the villain, he isn’t a hero, and I don’t think he ever has been. This is a guy who is doing what he believes is right for planet Earth. He wants to protect against any sort of villainous threat, and if that means getting rid of Mark, then so be it. At least in his eyes. There are some who stand by him. The Immortal and Dupli-Kate are perfectly fine following Cecil. Shapesmith decides that he owes so much to Cecil that he can’t betray him, reminding us that some people gain power because they make people feel like they owe good. Shapesmith can be grateful but admit that Cecil isn’t the one to follow if he wants. I will defend Black Samson for staying with the Guardians of the Globe after they learn about Mark and Cecil's fight, but only if he goes through with what he wants. He says that he will stay because he can’t change things from the outside. Maybe if the rest of the Guardians wanted to change things from the inside, it could work. It’s hard when he’s on his own, but he has a good heart. Mark and Eve can’t stand by Cecil after he tries to control Mark. Rudy, Monster Girl, Rex, and others join them as they walk away from the Guardians of the Globe. There’s already been a showdown between Kate’s brother, Multi-Paul, and Rex (with Mark helping Rex). We’re sure to see more of these kinds of clashes, leading to a lot of questions about who the good guys and the bad guys are.
A Legacy of Moral Ambiguity: Invincible's Enduring Question
Invincible has done an excellent job of making us question what we know and how we feel about superheroes. Everyone seems to want the same thing, but they all want to go about it in different ways. We’re predisposed to viewing Mark and Eve’s side as being the good one, but what if they’re not? I’m here for the ambiguity and the greyness. One thing I’m not convinced about just yet is Mark's costume change. I guess I didn’t see the reason. Poor Oliver needs to figure out a new name, though: Omni-Boy is not going to work. He doesn’t view his dad as the villain — and maybe he isn’t, with the humanity that is seeping into him — but so many others do. Invincible season 3 continues the heartfelt storylines and character growth the show is known for. We don't just see these superheroes as superheroes. They are human first, and this third season follows them as several mature from teens into adults. They want lives while they're saving the world. Debbie also grows a lot. She has learned what secrets do to relationships, and she doesn't want that with her new boyfriend. Can he be trusted? I'm on the fence, but I adore that Debbie said "screw it" and shared her family secret. I do wish she had a conversation with Mark and Oliver about it first considering it affects them as well!
The third season picks up three months after Season 2 ends. Mark is training to get stronger after being humbled by a visiting Viltrumite and being promised someone else was coming to Earth soon. The training leads to him and Cecil starting to butt heads. The third season of “Invincible” lands on Prime Video a year after Season 2 ended – which normally would not be a feather in a show’s hat but considering the wait between Season 1 and 2 was almost three years it’s a big deal. The new season finds Invincible (Steven Yeun) preparing for more Viltrumites arriving on Earth while butting heads with Cecil (Walton Goggins). Most of the star-studded “Invincible” cast returns for Season 3. Steven Yeun voices Mark Grayson/Invincible and is joined by J.K. Simmons, Gillian Jacobs, Walton Goggins, Sandra Oh, Jason Mantzoukas and Seth Rogen. Invincible season 3 sees its titular character receive a new superhero costume, causing many to wonder why it was changed from the old suit. Invincible season 3 sees the expected cast members and their characters return, along with a host of voices and faces both new and familiar. The trailer for Invincible season 3 has teased a big season for the Prime Video show, which audiences have thankfully not had to wait too long for. Invincible season 2's ending aired in April 2024, with Prime Video taking the criticism of a big wait between seasons 1 and 2 - as well as the controversy around the latter's mid-season break - to heart. This has allowed Invincible season 3's story to come much sooner than anticipated, with the next chapter detailing Mark Grayson's continued exploits as the titular superhero. This time around, Mark will reckon with the aftermath of defeating Angstrom Levy in season 2's finale while feuding with Invincible season 3's new pseudo-villain, Cecil Stedman, and preparing for the continued threat of the Viltrumites. With the story taking a step into more mature territory, the same characters and cast members are ushering the show forward, complete with a selection of new voice actors, heroes, and villains.
