According to Invincible show creator Robert Kirkman, the Prime Video series may deviate from some original comic storylines in future seasons. Similar to other major properties from studios like Marvel and DC, which are based on comic books, Invincible does not always take a one-to-one approach when adapting material for the animated TV show.
Invincible creator/showrunner Robert Kirkman spoke about what to expect from future seasons with regard to comic storylines being adapted. In an exclusive interview with The Direct during promotion for Invincible Season 4, which is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Kirkman teased the inclusion of “more side quests” and material that will be worked into the narrative going forward. He said that there is no “dearth of ideas from the writers” on what to include:
The Direct: “Do you both have more ideas and hopefully plans for more original storylines and side quests for the future seasons?”
Kirkman: “I mean, any lack of new storylines in the television show is not due to a dearth of ideas from the writers. The writers on the show have tons of ideas, and so, yeah, you can expect more side quests and things that will be working their way into the overall narrative of the show as we go on, just because it’s exciting to us and it’s a fun thing to do.”
Before this question, Kirkman touched on Damian Darkblood in Season 4, noting that his story hadn’t quite worked out the same way as in the comics. The idea of “superheroes [going] to hell” inspired the idea of Mark Grayson taking that same path, but Kirkman had not quite “worked out what that story was.” The same thing happened in developing the Invincible comics, where he and the other writers would narrow down the dialogue and story as the release dates got closer:
The Direct: “Robert, you know you have previously teased how you had storylines for Damien Darkblood that you just weren’t able to do in the comics, and this season, we finally get to see that storyline unfold. I’m curious, how long were you sitting on that story? How great is it to be able to see it? How did it evolve from that original idea?”
Kirkman: “To be 100% clear, it was the vague notion of… so many superheroes go to hell. Wouldn’t it be cool if Invincible went to hell? I hadn’t worked out what that story was. And to be honest, that’s kind of a lot of times how the comic was made. We would be soliciting an issue in our distributor catalog, and I would go, ‘I don’t know, they’re going to go to hell this issue.’ And then, Corey Walker or Ryan Ottley would draw a cover of Invincible vaguely in hell doing something. And then, as we got closer to the release of that issue, I would actually have to write a script, and I’d go, ‘Okay, what do they do in hell? Why are they in hell? What’s happening in hell?’
Continuing, Kirkman noted that this is how “the story came together for the show,” saying that the notion for the story had “been around for…the first year or two of the comic:”
“And that’s more or less how the story came together for the show, which was really exciting, because it kind of brought me back to those free-wheeling comic book writing days, and it was great to just be able to kind of roll the sleeves up and dig around in this new corner of the ‘Invincible’ universe, and discover a lot of new elements, and new characters, and things, and have them show up directly in the show, and be unique to the show in a way that hasn’t really happened before. So, yeah, it was a lot of fun. But I mean, that notion of the story has been around for, you know… It’s probably the first year or two of the comic. It was like, ‘Oh, could they go to hell? How do I do that story?'”
Additionally, co-showrunner Simon Racioppa explained how any material “just needs to feel organic to the show” so that no episodes are skippable, considering each season consists of only eight episodes:
“It just needs to feel organic to the show, right? Like, the big thing for us is there shouldn’t be any episode you can skip. Every episode, we only get eight of them a year, eight of them a season. Every episode has to move Mark’s story forward, has to be important. You shouldn’t be able to remove anything. So, that’s one of the contents. We might have a great idea for an episode, but if it doesn’t fit into the storyline, if it doesn’t illuminate some aspect of Mark’s character, help him mature, take him to a place he hasn’t been to before, that still plays into the whole season, then it can be a great idea, but it’s a great idea for something else. So, that’s important.”
Episode 4 of the latest season notably reincorporated a scrapped storyline featuring Damien Darkblood. It seems that Invincible fans can expect more stories not originally featured in the source material to make their way to the TV adaptation.
Unfortunately, Kirkman and Racioppa did not tease any specific plot points, leaving the path open for where the series could go in upcoming seasons.
Based on the same-named comics, Invincible is one of Prime Video’s highest-rated series, putting an R-rated animated superhero story on the small screen. Starring Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, Gillian Jacobs, and Walton Goggins, the story will show Mark Grayson struggling with last season’s catastrophe while he encounters some of his most dangerous threats yet, including villains like Thragg and Dinosaurus.
What Side Stories Could Invincible Explore Next?
While the original Invincible comic is an expansive narrative in its own right, several other stories set within its universe could be folded into it.
Before being gender-swapped for the series, Tech Jacket originated as a male superhero headlining his own series that ran alongside Invincible. Perhaps the series will delve into Tech Jacket’s backstory by adapting the suit’s origins (which are eerily similar to Green Lantern’s) or cover the post-Invincible War arc centered on the Zironian invasion.
Brit is another superhero featured prominently in Invincible, who originally had his own solo series. The series has already adapted a storyline directly from the Brit comics, in which Donald discovers he is an android. This precedent could indicate that there is more to be carried over from Brit into Invincible. The character has a twisted take on Captain America’s origin, so perhaps fans will get a chance to see where the grizzled hero came from.