With the better part of a decade gone since it first got in the works, Robert Kirkman offers a disappointing update on the live-action Invincible movie. Well before Kirkman teamed with Simon Racioppa and Prime Video for the hit animated show, the comic book creator was first working with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg to develop a live-action movie based on his graphic novel series. Even amidst the show’s success, Kirkman has frequently assured that the live-action Invincible movie was still in the works, though indicated a desire to get it right has led to its slow progress.
During a recent interview with The Direct at San Diego Comic-Con, Kirkman was asked for an update on the live-action Invincible movie. The comic book creator reaffirmed that the movie is still in the pipeline, though indicated that “it’s probably going to be in development for a while longer“, even hinting that it may not gain proper ground until after the animated show is over. See what Kirkman explained below:
It’s still in development. We’re still working with Universal. You know, the show is going so well. I think the movie absolutely has to be perfect. And so it’s taking a lot of time, like getting the pieces aligned and getting everything to work so that we can come out and make it as good as it can possibly be. So it’s been in development for a long time, and it’s probably going to be in development for a while longer. Just because, in relation to the show, it has to provide a different experience, it has to still be true to ‘Invincible’ in some interesting ways.
But it has to be its own thing. It has to stand on its own. And so that’s something we’re spending a lot of time crafting. But I think when it finally happens, it’s gonna be really cool. I think it’s difficult. And I think you can, that’s why the development process is taking so long, because it’s tough to figure out, “Okay, the comic is this one thing, and then this animated series is this other thing, and now this movie has to be this third thing. It has to provide a new experience, but, maybe tell the same story, maybe tell a different story.” Those are the kinds of things we’re trying to figure out. And it has to be as good as the show, but in a lot of ways, it has to be better than the show because, you know, movies are tough, and you got to get audiences into theaters. And that’s a process.
It’s very difficult, but we’ve got a good team behind it. And I think that we’re hopefully going to do something pretty cool, but it may take so long that Timothée Chalamet can play Omni-Man. The movie process is definitely condensing. And that can be frustrating at times, but it’s also a fun challenge. But the animated series, especially for us, I think of it as an expanding process. I think that there’s a lot of different scenes if you compare them to the comic, we do more. We put more emotion in them. There’s more dialogue going on. There’s a little bit more character development happening.
Will The Invincible Movie Ever Get Made?
Kirkman’s comments not only largely echo his past updates on the project, but also raises the question of when exactly the live-action Invincible movie will come to fruition. Based on the creator’s latest discussion, it does seem likely he and the creative team behind the movie will likely wait until the show reaches its natural conclusion, though that timeline seems unclear as Prime Video has already renewed Invincible for season 4, well before season 3 has even received a premiere date on the streamer. Rogen and Goldberg’s ongoing relationship with Prime Video for Sausage Party: Foodtopia season 2 and The Boys also presents something of a hurdle.
Goldberg and Rogen are also attached to the ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem franchise, with a sequel set for October 2026.
The biggest factor that may finally push the live-action Invincible movie into production is Universal Pictures’ own interest in the project. The blockbuster studio is gearing up for the conclusion of their mainline Fast and Furious franchise, while spinoff plans remain in unknown states of development, and have yet to truly break into the superhero genre. The closest thing they have is the Kick-Ass franchise, which is said to be getting a reboot from original director Matthew Vaughn, though beyond a hopeful 2025 film start, also remains in limbo.
Given the superhero genre is currently in a state of flux as James Gunn gears up to launch his DC Universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is finally regaining box office steam with Deadpool & Wolverine, Universal may also be open to waiting a while longer for the live-action Invincible movie. Leaving complete creative control in Kirkman’s hands would ensure a faithful adaptation in the same vein as the acclaimed Prime Video show, and given he’s previously shown an ability to juggle multiple comic book properties in the past, the wait could still very well be worth it.
Source: The Direct
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Invincible
Invincible is a multimedia franchise that began with the graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley. The series follows Mark Grayson, the son of Earth’s strongest hero, Omni-Man, as he enters into his powers at the cusp of adulthood. A television adaptation began in 2021 and retells the core story of the comics while fleshing it out and expanding on characters and concepts introduced in the medium.
