Amazon’s animated series adaptation ofRobert Kirkman’s super violent comicInvinciblejust landed itself a stellar voice cast. Kirkman and AMCdid pretty well for themselveslanded a massive hit with their adaptation ofThe Walking Dead, but with superheroes continuing to be a draw on the big and small screens these days, the sky’s the limit for this new project. It’s already a big win for Kirkman, but also one for Amazon, which could have seen the series head to any number of its streaming competitors. And as this voice cast strongly suggests, Amazon certainly didn’t skimp on the payout for top talent.
First reported byRevenge of the Fansabout a week ago, and confirmed today via press release distributed among the trades,Steven Yeunwill be toplining the series as the (eventually) superheroic Mark Grayson. The series, comprised of eight, hour-long episodes, follows Mark, the son of the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man. (That role goes to the always growlingJ.K. Simmons.) Shortly after his seventeenth birthday, Mark begins to develop powers of his own and enters into his father’s tutelage, only to discover that the superhero’s legacy may not be exactly what it seems.
While other write-ups are quick to mention Yeun’s live-action work, like the aforementionedThe Walking Deadand the feature filmsOkjaandSorry to Bother You, since this is an animated part, it only makes sense to clue you into his work in animation. After some early video game work and a few episodes ofThe Legend of Korra, Yeun’s been getting steadier and steadier voice work. He had a major role in Netflix’sVoltron Legendary DefenderandTrollhunters, and he continues to act on theTales of Arcadiaspinoff series3Below, as well asStretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters. He’s also got some comedic chops to go with his action beats on TBS’Final Spaceand in a cameo of sorts on Robot Chicken’sWalking Deadspecial. Yeun’s got an animated feature film under his belt as well thanks toThe Star. This new lead role forInvinciblehas been long in the making.
The supporting cast also includesSandra Oh(Killing Eve),Seth Rogen,Gillian Jacobs(Community),Andrew Rannells(Black Monday),Zazie Beetz(Deadpool 2),Mark Hamill,Walton Goggins(Justified),Jason Mantzoukas(Brooklyn Nine-Nine),Mae Whitman(Good Girls),Chris Diamantopoulos(Silicon Valley),Melise(The Flash),Kevin Michael Richardson(Young Justice),Grey Griffin(Avengers Assemble) andMax Burkholder(Parenthood), though none of their characters have been confirmed just yet.
Produced by Kirkman’s Skybound,Simon Racioppaacts as showrunner forInvinciblewhile the pair executive produce alongsideDavid Alpert(The Walking Dead) andCatherine Winder(Star Wars: The Clone Wars). Supervising directors areJustin and Chris Copeland(Ultimate Spider-Man).
Additionally, anInvinciblemovie is still in the works with Rogen andEvan Goldbergwriting, directing and producing the feature-length adaptation of the comic. Kirkman’s Skybound once again produces through the first-look deal with Universal Pictures. Skybound’s Alpert and co-presidents of film and TVBryan FurstandSean Furstare attached to both the feature and will the Amazon series, as well. Stay tuned for more!
