With the debut of Invincible: Season 3 fast approaching, Prime Video revealed the new lineup of voice actors joining the series this time around. That group includes Aaron Paul as Powerplex, John DiMaggio as The Elephant, and Simu Liu as Dupli-Kate’s brother Multi-Paul. But the most intriguing reveals in this announcement are also the most mysterious. Both Breaking Bad’s Jonathan Banks and Hellraiser’s Doug Bradley are also joining the cast, but we don’t know which characters they’re playing.
It’s safe to say that Prime Video is holding back those reveals so as not to spoil some big developments coming up in Season 3. Which Invincible characters could Banks and Bradley be playing? And for that matter, what’s the deal with Christian Convery’s Oliver? How is he aging up so quickly, and what does it mean now that Invincible has a new sidekick? Here’s what you need to know about the most important new characters we think are appearing this season.
Warning: some basic plot spoilers for the Invincible comic ahead!
Jonathan Banks as Conquest
Breaking Bad star Jonathan Banks is joining the cast of Invincible: Season 3, but Prime Video isn’t revealing which character he’s playing. That said, we have a pretty good idea of the role for which Banks has been chosen. He’s a master of playing grizzled, hardened killers, and that immediately brings to mind one particular villain from the Invincible comic.
Most likely, Banks is playing Conquest. This villain first debuted in 2009’s Invincible #61. Like Steven Yeun’s Invincible and JK Simmons’ Omni-Man, Conquest is a Viltrumite. Even by the standards of his people, Conquest is an especially strong and powerful warrior, carrying the scars of many a successful battle.
Conquest appears in the aftermath of a particularly devastating conflict on Earth, bringing with him an ultimatum from the Viltrumite Empire. Either Invincible carries out his duty and conquers his homeworld in the name of the empire, or Conquest will kill him and finish the job himself. Thus begins the most violent and desperate battle of Mark Grayson’s life (so far).
Season 2 already set the stage for this confrontation when Mark was forced to accept his father’s burden as the future conqueror of Earth. We’ll likely see that tease pay off in Season 3, as Mark is forced to make a one-man stand against Conquest. As we’ve seen in past seasons, Mark is still too young and inexperienced to truly hold his own against veteran Viltrumite soldiers. But somehow he’ll have to find a way, because the alternative means his own death and the enslavement of his world.
Who Is Doug Bradley Playing in Invincible Season 3?
Banks is pretty much a shoo-in for Conquest, but what about Bradley? Bradley is best known for giving life to iconic horror villain Pinhead in the various Hellraiser movies. We have to assume he’s also playing a villain in this series, but which one?
Two characters come to mind, given the way the comic book series unfolds and where the animated series is in that timeline. The first is Dinosaurus, a character who debuted in 2009’s Invincible #68. Dinosaurus is the next major villain to appear on the scene after Conquest, though his motivations could hardly be more different. Dinosaurus seeks to heal the world from the toxic effects of human civilization. At one point, he targets Las Vegas for destruction, seeing the city as a blight upon the natural beauty of the desert.
Bradley’s gravelly voice could certainly help lend extra gravitas to a villain who is admittedly pretty cartoonish in appearance. Dinosaurus is a compelling character because he’s simply doing what he feels is necessary for the greater good of the world. Even Invincible comes to understand and identify with his views.
Another option is Grand Regent Thragg, the character who serves as the true main villain of the Invincible saga. Thragg is introduced fairly early into the comic book series, first appearing in 2004’s Invincible #11, but we haven’t seen any trace of him in the animated series yet. It’s about time for that to change.
Thragg is the ruler of the Viltrumite Empire. As you’d expect from a society built around survival of the fittest, Thragg is incredibly powerful. He’s thousands of years old, trained in every form of combat known to Viltrumites, and he was a major force in the civil war that nearly destroyed the empire. He’s a true nightmare on the battlefield, and he’s a character Mark and Earth’s other heroes will have to contend with sooner or later.
Bradley would certainly be ideal for this role. He has the charisma and menace to bring to life one of the most important and powerful villains in the Invincible universe. We may not see much of Thragg in Season 3, but we wouldn’t be at all surprised if the series at least teases Mark Grayson’s final and greatest antagonist.
Christian Convery’s Oliver Grayson
Season 2 introduced Mark’s younger half-brother Oliver. As we learned, Oliver was born when Nolan fled to Thraxa and took a new lover. Half-Thraxan and half-Viltrumite, Oliver could almost pass for a normal human if not for his purple skin. That, and the fact that he ages far quicker than any human or Viltrumite.
That fact will be a major plot point in Season 3. In Season 2, Oliver had the appearance of a toddler, despite being just a few months old. By Season 3, his accelerated growth means Oliver will look like a preteen. That’s why Christian Connery has been cast to take over the role in Season 3. Oliver is now walking, talking, and even flying.
Thanks to his unique hybrid DNA, Oliver is already manifesting his powers, where it took Mark until nearly the end of his high school career to develop his superhuman strength and flight. We’ll see Oliver seek to follow in his father and brother’s footsteps in Season 3. He’ll don a costume and even take the codename Kid Omni-Man as he follows a bemused Invincible into battle.
Expect Oliver to play a huge role in the series going forward. Not only is Mark still struggling to figure out what kind of hero he wants to be, now he’s also responsible for guiding and shaping his little brother. Oliver is a powerful new ally, but also a potential liability. There’s nothing Mark fears more than having his loved ones put in danger because of his actions as Invincible. Now he has to worry about what happens to Oliver should he fail on the job.
Which Invincible villain do you hope to see in Season 3? Cast your vote in our poll and let us know what you think in the comments below:
In other Invincible news, the franchise is returning to comics this year with the new prequel spinoff Invincible: Battle Beast. It’s one of IGN’s most anticipated new comics of 2025.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
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