When comic book fans think of Robert Kirkman, the first series they probably think of is The Walking Dead, which isn’t surprising given the popularity of the comic book and AMC drama. But fans may also know that Kirkman is the creator of Image Comics’ Invincible, which is getting an animated adaptation on Amazon Prime. A large portion of the show’s cast has already been revealed, but the show has now picked up two big names in The Walking Dead’s Khary Payton and Star Trek alum Zachary Quinto.
During his Skybound virtual panel, Robert Kirkman officially confirmed that both Khary Payton and Zachary Quinto will join the stacked cast of Invincible as Black Samson and Robot, respectively.
Kirkman also revealed more details about the stacked cast, which already includes Zazie Beetz as Amber Bennet Chris Diamantopolous as Doc Seismic, Walton Goggins as Cecil Steadman, Grey Griffin as Shrinking Rae & Amanda (Monster Girl as Girl), Mark Hamill as Art, Gillian Jacobs as Atom Eve, Melise as Dulpi-Kate, Jason Mantzoukas as Rex Splode, Andrew Rannells as William Clockwell, Kevin Michael Richardson as Mauler 1, Mauler 2 & Monster Girl (as Monster) and Seth Rogen as Allen the Alien. Steven Yuen was previously reported to be playing Mark Grayson with J.K. Simmons and Sandra Oh reportedly being tapped to voice his parents.
Although fans undoubtedly know Khary Payton for his live-action work on The Walking Dead, the veteran actor has been doing voiceover work for years and has numerous credits under his belt. This includes fan-favorite animated series like Ben 10, Codename: Kids Next Door and The Lion Guard. Of course, he’s probably best known for voicing Cyborg in Teen Titans, Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls. Payton currently voices Kaldur'ahm/Aquaman on DC Universe’s Young Justice and Wasabi on Disney’s Big Hero 6: The Series.
Zachary Quinto doesn’t have as much voice acting experience as Payton has, but he still does have a few notable roles through Robot Chicken and Big Mouth. And of course, it goes without saying that he brings plenty of talent as an actor, which should be great for the show.
Created by Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker, Invincible was first published by Image Comics in 2003. The series centers on the character of Markus Grayson, the son of Nolan Grayson, a novelist who is actually the extraterrestrial superhero Omni-Man. After leading a relatively normal life, Mark’s own super powers begin to manifest after his 17th birthday, and he eventually takes on the superhero moniker Invincible and trains under his father.
In the comics, Black Samson was depicted as a superhero member of the Guardians of the Globe, who was cast out after losing his powers but later became a member of the new iteration of the team. Robot would become the leader of the new Guardians of the Globe before the discovery of his true origins would lead him down a dark path. He also has a tragic run-in with Black Samson, which may or may not be explored on the show.
While Invincible may feature a young protagonist, who comes into contact with other young heroes, the comic isn’t exactly for kids. The series can be graphic, and the animated series is aimed at adults. Acquiring adult-oriented superhero properties is becoming a trend for Amazon, which is also home to fan-favorite hit The Boys.
With the additions of Khary Payton and Zachary Quinto, Invincible continues to be on the right path, and it’ll be interesting to see the comic come to life in animated form. As of right now, Invincible does not have an official release date.
