It’s been more than two full years since Invincible Season 1 concluded, and although Amazon Prime Video subscribers were treated to the “Invincible: Atom Eve” special episode this past July, naturally a lot of anticipation for Season 2 has been built up. Fortunately for fans, that wait is almost over, as the first half of Invincible Season 2 a little over a month away from premiering. Naturally though, Invincible creator Robert Kirkman is looking much further ahead when it comes to the show, and while he has an exciting plan for future seasons, it has me a little bit worried.
Having written the entirety of the Invincible comic book series from 2003 to 2018, Kirkman is now overseeing the TV adaptation, which premiered on March 25, 2021. In addition to Season 2’s forthcoming arrival, Season 3 has already been greenlit, but as anyone familiar with the Invincible comic will tell you, it will take a long time to cover even roughly the same amount of ground laid by the source material. So when Polygon asked Kirkman was his “ideal big picture” is for the show, i.e. how many seasons he’ll need to properly tell this story, he answered:
I’m trying not to pin it down to a number, because it is somewhat of a moving target. I think in the seven-to-eight-season range seems like it would be enough. But there could be some things we move through a little faster, some things we expand. If we’re fortunate enough to go for a good long time, I think that would be enough to cover the entire comic. And there are some things along the way that didn’t get into the comic that I’d like to do. I think it’d be cool to have some episodes here and there that are completely original. So that’s part of the plan moving forward.
To be clear, I have nothing against Invincible running for seven or eight seasons. Frankly, even accounting for more trimming of fat from the comics, I’d prefer the show ultimately hitting 10 seasons so that all the major beats can still be hit. What worries me is whether Robert Kirkman’s desire to reach this many seasons will be fulfilled.
Even though streaming is more popular than ever, it’s still a relatively new chapter in TV history, and certain kinks are still being ironed out. In this case, it’s rare that a show exclusive to streaming surpasses four or five seasons; more often than not, such programming is cancelled after just two or three seasons, if not axed after just one batch of episodes. Amazon’s longest-running scripted show, Bosch, ended after seven seasons (although that saga is now continuing through the spinoff Bosch: Legacy), and that’s followed by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel lasting five seasons. Amazon’s currently long-running show, The Boys, has only been on for three seasons, with Season 4 on the way.
So while it would be amazing for Invincible to score seven or eight seasons like Robert Kirkman wants, I’m hesitant to say that the chances of that happening are more likely than not. Obviously the endgame is for the show to reach the same ending that the Image comic book series did, but fans would be wise to prepare for the possibility that this version of Mark Grayson’s superhero journey will reach an earlier conclusion. For now though, let’s just take comfort knowing that there are two more seasons guaranteed, and if the viewing numbers remain strong, then Season 4 has a strong chance of being greenlit.
The first half of Invincible Season 2 premieres November 3 on Amazon, and the second half will follow sometime in early 2024. Meanwhile, consult our 2023 TV schedule to learn what other shows are left to arrive this year, or take a look through the other best Prime Video shows that can be watched now.
