Invincible has built a reputation for putting its characters through absolute hell, but it turns out one storyline hit a little too hard for Aaron Paul.
The Breaking Bad actor voiced Scott Duvall, better known as Powerplex, in Season 3 of the animated superhero series, and his tragic spiral into revenge ended up becoming one of the darkest arcs the show has tackled so far.
After appearing in the series, Paul openly admitted he walked away because the role took a serious emotional toll on him.
Now, surprisingly enough, it sounds like he may be heading back to the blood-soaked world of Invincible for Season 5.
Fans recently learned that Season 5 is expected to arrive next year, and Paul has started teasing that he’s involved again. The big question is whether he’ll return as Powerplex or step into an entirely different role.
Back in November, Paul explained why he originally decided not to continue playing the character while speaking with Kinda Funny Games:
“They asked me to come back for the next season. That show, I’m such a fan of – I watch every episode. But it was just way too grueling on my psyche.
“I have so much respect for what they’re doing, but Powerplex, man. He’s not just messing around; he’s going through turmoil. How I approach everything I do, I really put myself in that skin. It was a skin I didn’t feel comfortable in. I didn’t want to do it anymore.”
Anyone who watched Season 3 understands exactly what he means. Powerplex’s story was brutal. Scott Duvall blamed Mark Grayson for the accidental deaths of his niece and sister, and his obsession with revenge pushed him deeper and deeper into emotional collapse.
By the end of the season, his actions led to the deaths of his own wife and son, turning the character into one of the series’ most tragic villains. That’s a heavy place for any actor to live in, even in animation.
Still, Paul’s recent comments have fans convinced he’s not done with Invincible just yet. If he really is returning as Powerplex, it would be a pretty major change of heart after how openly he discussed leaving the role.
Maybe series creator Robert Kirkman found a way to bring the character back without dragging him through another emotional meat grinder.
Kirkman recently talked about how the production team has started finding its groove as work continues on future seasons:
“Everything’s streamlining. So, everything that we’re doing isn’t changing, but everyone at every level of the process is getting a little bit more efficient. The writing team is learning how to write to production a little bit better.”
He continued: “This is a very complicated and bizarre show, and our production pipeline is very complicated, so we’re learning to navigate that. I’ll say for me, each season gets easier. I don’t think everybody on the production would say that.”
Season 4 is already shaping up to be another intense chapter for Mark Grayson. The official synopsis reads:
“While the world recovers from catastrophe, a changed Mark fights to protect his home and the people he loves, setting him on a collision course with a threat that could alter the fate of humanity forever.”
The voice cast for Invincible continues to be ridiculously impressive, featuring Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, J.K. Simmons, Gillian Jacobs, Seth Rogen, Walton Goggins, Lee Pace, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jason Mantzoukas, Zazie Beetz, Grey DeLisle, Zachary Quinto, Chris Diamantopoulos, Ross Marquand, Khary Payton, Andrew Rannells, Kevin Michael Richardson, Ben Schwartz, Clancy Brown, Jay Pharoah, Mark Hamill, Matthew Rhys, Danai Gurira, and Melise.
At this point, fans are left wondering whether Powerplex’s story is truly finished or if Paul is preparing for another emotionally devastating run in the series.
