Invincible Creator Explains Why The Explosive Finale Was Only Possible Via Animation, Not Live Action

Being hailed as the greatest superhero series of 2021, Invincible, an Amazon Prime Original has become a global phenomenon. With tons of action, hard hitting drama & suspense, along with incredible characters, Invincible is one series you cannot afford to miss. The series is being lauded for its depiction of graphic violence and (despite featuring Superman-like figures) a well-grounded story arc. Robert Kirkman, the writer and creator of Invincible is head over heels for the show. He served as an executive producer for the Amazon Original adaptation of his work. And he puts the rumors of a possible Invincible live cation adaptation to rest.

Kirkman, like many ardent fans of the show and the comic book series, is of a very familiar opinion. He believes that the show only became popular because it chose an animated medium over a live action platform. Moreover, he goes on to say the show’s finale would not have been this hard-hitting had it not been an animated medium telling the story.

Kirkman’s Love For The Animated Medium

Robert Kirkman was recently asked in an interview about the iconic fight scene between Mark Grayson and Nolan Grayson aka Omni-Man. He claimed that the entire show was made keeping in mind the series adapting to animated media. The finale was based on the fact that the cast and crew could best use the advantages an animated platform grants. He told The AV Club and we quote:

“Every episode was constructed with the knowledge that this would be an animated show and we can use that to the best of our ability. The whole series was conceived in the first place because of it being an animation.”

The series did take a rather non-linear approach to the story arc. The actual truth about Nolan Grayson came rather late in the comic books. In the animated series, it was shown in the very final moments of the first episode, driving the majority of the plot for the rest of the season. Nolan Grayson revealed himself to be a conqueror, not a savior. The Viltrumites were not a benevolent species. They were an Imperial Empire that wanted to bring everybody under their rule. Nolan was sent to Earth to ready it for Viltrumite takeover.

Why An Animated Medium Mad Sense

The truth broke Mark, resulting in a fight that just might be the bloodiest and most brutal superhero showdown of the century. The collateral damage alone could put the climactic Superman vs. Zod battle in Man of Steel to shame. Kirkman is quick to add:

“That sequence from the finale between Mark and Omni-Man would be almost impossible to do even in a $200 million blockbuster, to go from fighter jets to collapsing buildings in the city to snow-capped mountains and avalanches to fighting under the ocean. I’m glad we were able to do it in animation, it shows the strength of the genre because it utilizes the best of what comics are able to do with storytelling.”

So what basically Robert Kirkman is saying that the depth of the plot line would never have helped reach such an epic climax in a live action mode. Invincible season 1 concluded with an epic finale. Mark and Nolan’s fights caused a ton of damage, ranging from Tsunamis and ship wrecks to avalanches and entire skyscrapers falling apart. The level of devastation shown in the series would have been limited in live action due to budgetary constraints.

The Truth About Nolan Grayson

Coming back to Nolan Grayson, Kirkman says there might be more to Omni-Man than what meets the ey:

“We spent a lot of time to show the hesitation and humanity in Nolan. He is saying that his life with Debbie and Mark was an act, but I hope the audience can see confidence in Mark when he says, ‘There’s no way you could have faked that; you were that person.'”

He continued to add:

“Having watched the finale, if you go back and watch from episode one, you’ll see that in the first episode, Nolan is upset when Mark gets his powers. He didn’t want that to happen and wanted him to continue his normal life. Now he has to fulfill his Viltrumite duty and that’s something Nolan isn’t initially happy about. There’s a lot of layers to the character.”

Invincible Season 1 is available to stream on Amazon Prime. Amazon has already renewed the series for a second and third season.