Will We Ever See The Live-Action Invincible Movie?
Plenty have been introduced to "Invincible" by the Prime Video animated series, but the title had a long history before that; it ran as a comic (created by Robert Kirkman, mostly illustrated by Ryan Ottley) from 2003 to 2018, racking up 144 issues as one of Image Comics' premier series. That Kirkman wrote it and "The Walking Dead" almost simultaneously (they started and ended around the same time) is quite the feat.
The "Invincible" series wasn't even the first adaptation of the comic announced. In 2017 (when the comic was in its final stretch), The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (co-writers of "Superbad," "Pineapple Express," and more) would be co-writing and co-directing an "Invincible" movie. Kirkman would be directly involved, producing the movie via his company Skybound Entertainment; Skybound has a first-look deal with Universal Pictures, so that would be the studio distributing "Invincible."
In the THR piece, Kirkman praised the duo as the long-awaited "right team" for adapting his "surprising, edgy, shocking, and oftentimes blood-soaked story." In a joint statement published by THR, Goldberg and Rogen said:
"No matter how much damage it causes our bodies, minds, and our most intimate relationships with those we love, we will not rest until 'Invincible' is as great a movie as it deserves to be."
Since that announcement, the "Invincible" animated show has aired for one and a half seasons, but the movie remains in development, with no announcements about casting or the script. Is it still coming?
Encouraging signs
The answer to that is an empathetic "Yes," per Robert Kirkman. Speaking to ComicBook.com in January 2023, Kirkman was asked about the development of the "Invincible" film. He said it's still on track with the same creative team that was announced six years prior:
"We're very much still working on [the 'Invincible' movie]. Sometimes movies take a little bit longer. I think it's safe to say, if anything, the show has just helped that immensely. People are very excited about that movie potential at Universal. So we're riding that excitement and trying to push things forward as quickly as possible."
Kirkman's point makes a lot of sense; since he's involved in both the show and the movie, they're not competing adaptations. Plus, the show has boosted the name recognition (and comic sales) of "Invincible." While superhero movies and TV are culturally dominant, comics themselves unfortunately remain a niche.
Moreover, Rogen and Goldberg are executive producers on the animated show, so it's not like they had a falling out with Kirkman or each other (they co-wrote this year's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" together too). In the "Invincible" show, Rogen even voices Allen the Alien, just one of many celebrities in the "Invincible" cast. Since all three are working on the show (and other projects), that might be sapping the time they can commit to the movie, hence the slowdown.
So, an "Invincible" movie sounds like a slow but sure slam dunk. Will be there any challenges? Here's where the speculation comes into play.
The challenges
Superhero movies are not the sure bet they were even a mere five years ago. "The Flash" was an already infamous bomb and "The Marvels" posted the lowest returns of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. By the time the "Invincible" movie is ready, its genre might have simply fallen out of fashion.
"Invincible" is also a hard-R comic, with gallons of blood and countless panels of punches disfiguring the punched. This violence is part of the series' identity; toning it down for a movie would make it just another generic superhero movie. R-rated superhero movies are not unheard of — see "Deadpool" or "Logan" — but the trade-off is usually a lower budget. Relatedly, a lot of superheroes work better in animation than in live-action. From the gore to the colorful character designs, "Invincible" might be one of them.
Goldberg and Rogen have proved they can handle R-rated comic adaptations, what with them being executive producers on "The Boys" (a sister show of "Invincible" on Prime Video). Again, though, TV shows can push themselves further to the edge since they're cheaper to produce than blockbuster movies and don't have quite the same rating system.
Unlike most superhero comics, "Invincible" is a singular, serialized story, with a beginning and an end. It's not like Marvel or DC movies, where the filmmakers can pick and choose which stories to adapt or use as influence. The whole saga of "Invincible" is way too much for even a film trilogy; Kirkman has said the show will take about seven or eight seasons to adapt the whole comic.
All that said, none of these are insurmountable challenges, they just require creativity. Don't start betting until there's a more concrete update, but the "Invincible" movie isn't in development hell yet.
"Invincible" (the animated series) is streaming on Prime Video.