Invincible Season 2 holds a 100% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers praising the melting pot of gore, humour, and worldbuilding. Once again, the animated show – based on the comic book series created by Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead), Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley – continues to delight the audience. And this leads to the next logical question: When will the live-action Invincible movie be released?
News of the Invincible film has been doing the rounds for a few years now, as many wonder if it will ever happen since the animated series delivers what fans could want from an adaptation. Speaking to Variety in October 2023, Kirkman revealed the live-action film remains in active development and was in the scripting phase. The writer also acknowledged the importance of finding the right hook for the movie, especially because the animated show already fills a void. “We also need to find a way to play off the animated series, but also differentiate ourselves and give the movie a reason for existing,” he said. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done. But we’re hopeful.”
Who Should Direct The Live-Action Invincible Movie?
While most of the attention surrounding the live-action Invincible movie will revolve around the casting, there’s no getting around the fact that it needs a visionary director to tackle the material. This story isn’t a family-friendly MCU movie by any means; even if it boasts bright colours for the characters’ costumes and scenery, the content is dark and pulls no punches when it comes to blood and guts. So, which filmmaker has the ability to unleash this violent tale while still honouring the source material’s colourful aesthetic?
The answer is simple: Matthew Vaughn. The director is no stranger to comic book movies, having helmed Kick-Ass, Kingsman, and X-Men: First Class. Out of all these projects, Kick-Ass is the closest to Invincible in terms of its violent qualities and ability to turn the superhero genre on its head; however, it’s Vaughn’s work on First Class that might prove more pivotal here.
Why Matthew Vaughn Is The Right Choice For Invincible
While the conflict between Nolan and Mark Grayson is the heartbeat of the series, Invincible contains a vibrant world filled with other important characters, such as Atom Eve and the Guardians of the Globe. It’s all too easy for a film to fall apart when it features a plethora of characters, but Vaughn has shown himself capable of balancing this act in First Class. Not only did he introduce a host of new and largely unknown X-Men to the audience, but he also managed to include a wide array of villains without overpowering the viewer. Most fans also forget that it was First Class that reinvigorated the X-Men on screen after the failures of X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It was a soft reboot that brought the bang back to the X-Universe.
Vaughn also understands how comic book movies need to be more than super heroics on screen. In an interview with Screen Rant at New York Comic Con 2023, Vaughn discussed how the genre might need a break since the movie have become too similar and forgot what they are ultimately meant to be – films. “Maybe someone will make something so great that we will get excited again and remind everybody that just having identical ways of making superheroes… Superhero films are films,” he said. “It’s a film that has superheroes in it. I think what happened was that they became superheroes, and the film part wasn’t that important.”
At first glance, Invincible looks like a traditional superhero story with its aesthetic and premise. However, it connects with an audience because it’s so much more. This is a story about the dynamics of family and recalibrating a sense of identity when the person closest to you reveals themself to be something you never thought they were. It’s about the characters – not the capes. Someone like Matthew Vaughn could do wonders with a character-driven version of a live-action Invincible movie. In fact, he’s the only logical choice to bring it to life.
Tell us, do you think Matthew Vaughn should direct a live-action Invincible movie?
Invincible |
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An adult animated series based on the Skybound/Image comic about a teenager whose father is the most powerful superhero on the planet. |
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| Creator: Robert Kirkman, Simon Racioppa |
| Cast: Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, Grey Griffin, Zazie Beetz, Walton Goggins, Gillian Jacobs, Jason Mantzoukas, Zachary Quinto |
| Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Superhero |
| Number of Seasons: 2 |
| Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video |
