Spoilers ahead for Invincible’s Season 2 premiere.
The superhero genre is a powerful force in both the TV and film industries, with no signs of slowing down. Amazon got in on the fun with The Boys, as well as its brutal animated series Invincible. The latter recently returned for its second season, with the premiere offering an update on Steven Yeun’s Mark Grayson. I like Invincible Season 2’s premiere, but there was one big thing missing for me. And I need to talk about it!
The wait between seasons of Invincible was brutal, although we were treated to the Atom-Eve special in July of 2023. But Robert Kirkman’s superhero show is back, bringing more bloody action for those with an Amazon Prime subscription. Invincible Season 2’s premiere brought in the multiverse, and also revealed how Mark and Debbie are processing their trauma from the Season 1 finale. But I’ve got to say, the absence of J.K. Simmons’ Omniman was super noticeable, and it left me wanting more.
Omniman left Earth after the brutal final battle in Invincible’s Season 1 finale, where he massacred countless people and nearly killed his son. While we saw an alternate version of him in Season 2‘s premiere, I need to know where TF the Omniman in the main timeline is.
Obviously Invincible is doing this for a reason, and has a specific story to tell. J.K. Simmons’ character being gone from Earth has allowed more time to show the way his family is trying to cope after his departure, and the realization that he was an evil alien the whole time. But he’s a wildly popular character, with Omniman even making it into Mortal Kombat. So I’m eager to see the main timeline version of the character return to my screen.
Robert Kirkman explained the long wait for Season 2 of Invincible was related to getting its animation as beautiful as possible, and the new episode "A Lesson For Your Next Life" certainly didn’t disappoint in that regard. In addition to the Viltrumite characters, there are plenty of superheroes and villains in the series, all of whom have unique power sets. And it should be fascinating to see how it all shakes out, especially with the new Guardians of the Globe.
The cast of Invincible all bring their A-game, but I have to give it to J.K. Simmons for commanding the most attention when he’s voicing Omniman. While he might have been largely absent from the premiere, one can only imagine the show’s plans for its primary antagonist. Although smart money says bloody violence is part of it.
Invincible airs new episodes Fridays on Amazon. Be sure to check out the TV premiere list to plan your next movie experience.
