Everyone is pretty bummed out when Prime Video’s Invincible picks up for Season 4, and nobody more so than the title character. After accidentally killing an enemy in Season 3 – who, mind you, is still alive – and purposefully killing another – who is also alive – Invincible (voiced by Steven Yeun) is grappling with whether he’s gone too far; and if he kills again, if he’ll become as bad as mass-murdering father, Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons).
It’s basically the same “should superheroes kill?” mode that superhero media has been stuck in at the very least since Arrow debuted in on The CW in 2012. And when it comes to Invincible, it’s not just a bummer for the characters, it’s also a bummer to watch, particularly as things turned a surprising corner in the Season 3 finale, with Mark seemingly deciding he is judge, jury, and executioner. Backing up this truck leaves the first three episodes of the series (all three debut on premiere day, and six were provided to critics for review) are stuck in rehash mode, reiterating the themes and ideas of previous seasons.
There’s still fun to be had, mind you. The world created by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley never stops layering on the problems, ranging from alien attacks to giant dragons and more. While there’s perhaps a little too much time spent on certain sequences like Mark having dinner with his girlfriend, Atom Eve’s (Gillian Jacobs), parents, the show makes sure threats are always bubbling over, there’s plenty of action, and the title character is only one part of the growing supporting cast.
But it isn’t until it gets over that initial hump and heads into all-out war that the show really kicks into high gear. Without getting into spoilers, starting with Episode 4 it becomes clear that a lot of the first three hours were about table-setting, which is a little surprising given the series doesn’t waste a lot of time jumping into the action initially, or getting audiences up to speed. A lot of this is due to an issue Season 3 had, which is keeping Omni-Man and Mark separate. Their father/son relationship, which is now extended to Mark’s half-brother Oliver (voiced by Christian Convery), is the heart of the show. And having a full season where they didn’t interact meant the emotional side of the series was pushed to the, well, side.
To mildly get into spoilers, once we’re back to this core dynamic, you can feel a jolt of energy injected into the show. Yeun and Simmons might record separately, but the connection is palpable. And seeing how Mark has grown older and harder in comparison to his father, who has discovered more emotional sides of himself – including exploring the concept of forgiveness – layers a clear emotional thread into the show that otherwise can occasionally feel like you’re being shown The Invincible Evening News, given there’s event after event.
The show also gets much, much funnier as the stakes get higher. While some of that is present in the second episode of the season, thanks to the not-so-stealth contributions of Seth Rogen as the voice of the hilariously earnest Allen the Alien, the series finds its balance between the requisite bloody, intestine-filled action, and moments of surprising (and often very dark) humor starting in Episode 4. It’s probably no coincidence that the fourth episode is the first entirely original story the show has ever done. Injecting new ideas into stories that Kirkman otherwise finished a decade ago means the show’s creative staff is able to look at the overall arc with fresh eyes and add emotional depth (and mythology) to an already over-stuffed universe. The fourth episode is also less in that “evening news” vibe and much more focused, indicating that perhaps the production might want to lean on more original ideas as it moves forward, rather than straight adapting the comic.
Continuing on that, the season’s fifth episode (again, without getting too heavily into spoilers) is one of the most emotionally palpable and nuanced explorations of forgiveness ever broadcast on TV… There’s great acting from the whole cast, smaller moments, excellent uses of sound as storytelling. And then in typical Invincible fashion, it also brings one of the most gruesome fights the show has done, which is saying something.
As for the supporting cast, Sandra Oh’s often shoved-to-the-side Debbie (Nolan’s ex-wife, Mark’s mom) gets a lot more to dig her teeth into this season. Convery also gets a lot more to do as Oliver grows into a teen – and so does the voice actor. And while it’s just a tease, new addition Lee Pace as Thragg, the ruler of the Viltrumite Empire, of course gives the necessary gravitas to the role.
Look, four seasons in, you kind of know what you’re getting into with Invincible. The show can be laugh-out-loud funny, it can be extremely heartfelt, and it can be nausea-inducingly disgusting when it wants to be. It’s the formula that has made the comic a hit for a decade and change, and hopefully will continue as the animated series hits beyond its halfway point. Only note is stop reverting to the “should I kill” debate and start injecting more of those fun, original-for-TV ideas. Then the show will truly be… Invincible.
Invincible Season 4 premieres on March 18, 2026 on Prime Video with three episodes.
Where To Watch Invincible:
Invincible Season 4 Premiere Dates And Episode Guide:
Season 4 of Invincible will premiere on Prime Video on Wednesday, March 18 at 3 am ET / 12 am PT with three new episodes. New episodes will then roll out one a week until the season finale on April 22, 2026.
Here’s the full list of episodes in Invincible Season 4:
- Wednesday, March 18, 2025: Invincible, Season 4, Episode 1
- Wednesday, March 18, 2025: Invincible, Season 4, Episode 2
- Wednesday, March 18, 2025: Invincible, Season 4, Episode 3
- Wednesday, March 25, 2025: Invincible, Season 4, Episode 4
- Wednesday, April 1, 2025: Invincible, Season 4, Episode 5
- Wednesday, April 8, 2025: Invincible, Season 4, Episode 6
- Wednesday, April 15, 2025: Invincible, Season 4, Episode 7
- Wednesday, April 22, 2025: Invincible, Season 4, Episode 8 *Season Finale*
Listen to Podvincible: An Invincible Podcast:
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