After previously working with Robert Kirkman on The Walking Dead, Academy Award-nominated actor Steven Yeun and Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons took on a new television adaptation of Kirkman's comic book work in Invincible. Based on the Image Comics/Skybound Entertainment series of the same name by Kirkman, Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, Yeun portrays protagonist Mark Grayson, with Simmons as his superhero father Nolan, better known as Omni Man.

In a roundtable interview attended by CBR, Yeun and Simmons discussed bringing the layers of complexity and emotional depth to their respective characters, how they were drawn to the acclaimed Amazon Prime animated series with its themes of fathers and sons while deconstructing classic superhero tropes and why the appeal of adapting Invincible as an animated series.

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"It serves a lot of purposes [to do this adaptation as animation] when you get to go to places where live-action isn't able to go to still, even now. Further, I think it creates another level of separation so you can imagine what the show might be saying one-to-one," Yeun explained. "There's just something different about that and I'm happy about that."

"Just logistically, if we were doing the live version of this, it would be insanely expensive," Simmons added. "Doing this animated, there is virtually no limit where Robert [Kirkman's] creativity can take us."

"I think whatever is going subtextually or whatever layers of complexity might be in any character's mind, certainly Nolan's mind for all of Season 1 -- Season 1 of many -- I think it's one of the important aspects for him, just to continue with his mission and life, is to focus on the task at hand," Simmons continued, about Omni Man and the level of nuance his complicated superhero character possesses. "[I'm] Just trying my best to do Nolan's best being in the moment regardless of what else might be going on."

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"I think that's what's refreshing about Invincible as a comic," Yeun noted about the story and show's postmodern sensibilities juxtaposed within its classic superhero trappings. "We're getting to a truer representation of that, staring into the ugliness that is life and, in that way, not lionizing superheroes, and I like that. I like that we're not in this place where we're asking the audience to rest their humanity and their survival on these superheroes but also take a look at the ugliness in which they also live. I love it because I feel like so many things that have been coming out lately are taking a layer off of society a little bit and revealing the thing that was behind the curtain. It's its own path and scary, but I'm glad that things like Invincible can exist and speak about [those things]."

With Invincible always about the relationship and perspectives between fathers and sons, these themes appealed to and resonated with both Simmons and Yeun particularly deeply.

"That was a big aspect of what drew me to it and Steven and I both refer to now being fathers and obviously being sons. That's always a relationship that I'm interested in looking at," Simmons smiled. "And being able to examine Robert's version of it in this pretty much boundary-less universe that he's created where he can accomplish anything and put us in virtually any situation was great, there were so few constraints."

Simmons noted that he and Yeun were able to record lines in the same room together, comparing these recording sessions to a sort of play rather than doing a traditional film or television project.

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Yeun particularly enjoyed going back to record dialogue over the action sequences and really emotional scenes after the bulk of animation had already been completed, catching the deeper emotionality in those more subtle moments. "I think a lot of the show lives in these emotional moments that aren't necessarily mixed in with dialogue." Simmons credited the intensity of the violence and stakes showing up in recording performances for those action sequences. Yeun then received a question from CBR about capturing the dichotomy of Mark Grayson wanting to become a superhero all his life but finding himself not quite ready for it when he develops his powers.

"I think I'm just not aware of what's happening when I'm doing it, I think that's just good writing and truth writing and the truth of life," Yeun admitted. "Mark is struggling with expectations and reality and I think that's something we all can relate to. He's probably been dreaming about this and wanting this thing and he's already built this strawman and this massive behemoth that he has to overcome. If I have to relate to that in any way as an actor, I feel that approaching roles, especially ones that I'm scared of, I build it up to be this thing and make the Voltron version of this and this performance. And then you have to deconstruct it and realize it's just a part of you and not as daunting and scary as you thought it was. That's a journey Mark is going on, and I relate to that honestly with every role I take on. I'm terrified of them."

Simmons observed that approach must be exhausting, with Yeun laughing that he is definitely feeling tired as the roundtable interviews came to an end.

Invincible stars Steven Yeun as Mark Grayson, J.K. Simmons as Nolan Grayson, Sandra Oh as Deborah Grayson, Gillian Jacobs as Atom Eve, Mark Hamill as Art, Zazie Beetz as Amber Bennett, Khary Payton as Black Samson, Walton Goggins as Cecil Steadman, Zachary Quinto as Robot, Chris Diamantopoulos as Doc Seismic, Jason Mantzoukas as Rex Splode, Grey Griffin as voice Shrinking Rae and Amanda (Monster Girl as Girl), Melise as Dupli-Kate, Andrew Rannells as William Clockwell, Kevin Michael Richardson as Mauler 1 and Mauler 2 and Monster Girl (as Monster) and Seth Rogen as Allen the Alien, with Lauren Cohan as War Woman, Chad Coleman as Martian Man, Michael Cudlitz as Red Rush, Lennie James as Darkwing, Ross Marquand as The Immortal and Aquarius, Sonequa Martin-Green as Green Ghost, Mahershala Ali as Titan, Clancy Brown as Damien Darkblood, Nicole Byer as Vanessa and Fiona, Jeffrey Donovan as Machine Head, Jonathan Groff as Rick Sheridan, Jon Hamm as Steve, Djimon Hounsou as Martian Emperor and Ezra Miller as D.A. Sinclair. The series arrives on Amazon Prime Video on March 26, 2021.

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