How Invincible Season 3’s Ending Battle Serves As Subtle Walking Dead Rematch Explained By Robert Kirkman

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Invincible season 3, episode 8, “I Thought You’d Never Shut Up.”

Invincible creator Robert Kirkman breaks down how the battle between Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) and Conquest (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) in the season 3 finale is a rematch from The Walking Dead. Yeun played Glenn and Morgan played Negan in the AMC series, which sees Negan brutally killing Glenn. Meanwhile, the Invincible season 3 ending has Mark and Conquest in a harrowing and even bloodier fight that ultimately ends with Mark defeating the formidable Viltrumite.

While speaking with Variety, Kirkman clarifies that while Mark defeating Conquest is “a nice bit of justice” for Glenn, The Walking Dead rematch is not the main reason Morgan was cast to voice Conquest. Kirkman knew that Morgan was the perfect actor to play Conquest, especially after seeing him make his debut in The Boys. Instead of being distracting or even ruining the fight between Mark and Conquest, the aspect of a Glenn vs. Negan rematch only “enhances things and puts an extra level of stakes on it.” Check out the rest of Kirkman’s comments below:

I’m always trying to find roles for the actors that I know and love and want to work with again. I’m always trying to find something for Jeffrey. When he started showing up on “The Boys,” I couldn’t let Eric Kripke have all the fun. At some point, it became, “When we get to Conquest, Jeffrey Dean Morgan would be perfect for that.” I didn’t hesitate just because there is the meta of it all like, “Oh, it’s the rematch between Glenn and Negan, and now Glenn gets to win.” Something about it seemed fun and interesting. You worry about those kind of things taking people out of the show, but once you’re in it and you’re paying attention, it’s not necessarily something that occurs to you. I don’t think it ruins the episode or anything, but I think it enhances things and puts an extra level of stakes on it. For anybody who’s a longtime “Walking Dead” fan, it’s a nice bit of justice.

What This Means For Invincible

The Walking Dead Reunion Is Handled Well

Morgan joining the cast of Invincible primarily works because of his ability to make Conquest an intimidating and powerful character who has considerable presence. The Walking Dead reunion adds another fun and satisfying layer to Morgan’s casting, as does the outcome of the battle between Mark and Conquest, but it is not the main appeal. Morgan’s voice performance makes it easy to understand how much Conquest revels in killing innocent civilians, causing widespread destruction, and pushing Mark to his breaking point.

The tension is palpable and the stakes feel real, especially when Oliver Grayson (Christian Convery) and Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs) join the fight, and it seems like one or both of them may die as well. All the tension and high stakes ensure that the story’s focus stays on Invincible and is not overshadowed by The Walking Dead rematch. Morgan excels at playing one of Invincible‘s most terrifying villains yet, but he also brings surprising depth to him when the Viltrumite admits to Mark about being lonely. Just as he did with Negan, Morgan can bring nuance to ruthless antagonists.

Conquest Works Well In Season 3 And Is Part Of The Show’s Promising Future

As much as I like the idea of there being justice for Glenn’s death, I am more satisfied by the events in the season 3 finale, and how they set up Invincible season 4. I am relieved that neither Atom Eve nor Oliver died and that Mark and Atom Eve worked together to stop Conquest. Given how perfectly Morgan plays Conquest, it is also promising to know that, despite his defeat, he is not dead, and it is only a matter of time before he returns, and adds further tension to Invincible.

Source: Variety

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Invincible

8/10

Release Date

March 26, 2021

Network

Amazon Prime Video