Why Invincible Season 3 Is JK Simmons Favorite Season Yet: "It's Nice Not To Feel Like Your Character Ever Stagnated"

J.K. Simmons boldly declares Invincibleseason 3 might just be his favorite season yet, all because his character Omni-Man might just be getting a redemption arc. While certainly not the first opportunity to do so with the character, the latest season of Prime Video's hit superhero show sees Simmons' Nolan really left to reflect on his actions and his feelings about Mark and Debbie.

In the midst of the more dramatic character moments, though, Simmons is also getting to flex his comedic muscles with the help of Seth Rogen. Invincible season 3 continues from the open-ended season 2 finale, in which Rogen's Allen the Alien was captured and taken to the Viltrumite prison where Simmons' Nolan has been held and tortured by his people for abandoning his post on Earth.

Despite his acceptance of his position, Allen utilizes his ability to talk to Nolan telepathically in the hopes of getting him to join the fight against the Viltrumites, and thanks to their shared imprisonment and isolation, the lovable alien's efforts slowly begin to pay off.

Ahead of the show's return, ScreenRant interviewed J.K. Simmons to discuss Invincible season 3. The star expressed his excitement to get to explore a chattier and more humorous side of Nolan in comparison to previous seasons, while also previewing the "inner turmoil" that he's dealing with while in the Viltrumite prison, the in-depth discussions he's had with comic and show creator Robert Kirkman, developer/co-showrunner Simon Racioppa and voice director Meredith Layne about Nolan's backstory, as well as an encouraging update on season 4.

Nolan Is Still Grappling With His Humanity In Invincible Season 3

"...he's sort of reluctantly feeling these tinges..."

Close-up of Nolan Grayson with a clenched fist while lying on the ground in Invincible S2 Ep6

After being absent for a good portion of the previous season, Invincible season 2 did show that Nolan, in an effort to make up for his past mistakes on Earth, saved a Thraxan ship from a black hole and forged a new family with one of their kind, giving birth to a new son. However, Invincible season 3 takes away this distraction from his past actions by mostly isolating him in a Viltrumite prison, with Simmons teasing that this brings back his difficulties in dealing with his emotions:

J.K. Simmons: Well, it's that inner turmoil, right? There's the alpha, the Viltrumite, the Omni-Man, and then he's sort of reluctantly feeling these tinges of humanity invading his being. And then, he spends a significant amount of time, basically in a very intimate one-on-one situation with Allen the Alien, of all beings. It was a really fun season to continue to explore what that brings out in Omni-Man/Nolan.

These returning "tinges of humanity", as Simmons calls them, come paired with Nolan being able to communicate with Allen telepathically, even when they're in their separate cells. This, in turn, unlocks a chattier side of Omni-Man, which Simmons notes is not only a natural evolution of having these two characters interact more, but also an important one to "chink away at the armor" of Nolan's emotional wall:

J.K. Simmons: Well, you're in a room with Allen the Alien/Seth Rogen. You either have to just listen to him never shutting up, or you have to get chatty in return. I love the way that, first of all, plot brought us to that point, and we really got to just kind of wallow in it, and see more, hear more, of Omni-Man philosophizing and justifying and arguing and even being funny from time to time. He continues to sort of chink away at the armor, that Viltrumite armor, and Allen is a smart alien. He's just continuing to do that because he senses that there is a tinge of humanity there, and that he's not talking to a brick wall that you usually are when you're talking to a Viltrumite.
So, yeah, again, I think it's one of those really nice — I'm surprised, I guess, to use the word subtle, because it's an animated show about superheroes, but there is a lot of really interesting subtlety in the characters and the relationships, and that continues to be one of the things that makes it an interesting job to continue with when you do this kind of long-form storytelling, whether it's animated or live-action. It's nice not to feel like your character ever stagnates.

Simmons Became Very Familiar With Omni-Man's Backstory (But Not His Future) Early

"...I really enjoy being surprised by each episode as it comes at me."

Nolan/Omni-Man looking intensely at a young Cecil in Invincible season 3

One of the big surprises from Invincible season 3 is the exploration of Cecil's backstory and origins with the Global Defense Agency, namely a flashback showcasing when he first met Nolan after he stopped a monstrous threat. When asked about this reveal and how much he knows of Nolan's backstory, Simmons did confirm he "discussed a fair amount" with the creative team of the show to learn about this as he wasn't "familiar with the source material", but didn't want to learn too much from the future in the hopes of being surprised by every script:

J.K. Simmons: Really, we discussed a fair amount of it at first, because I wasn't familiar with the source material, but I really enjoy being surprised by each episode as it comes at me. And, obviously, I'll get the script, we're going to record next week, or in two weeks, and I'll get the scripts and have time to go through them and really digest them. Often, we'll have specific questions as we're getting either live together in the studio, or on a Zoom hookup, or whatever it is, depending on where I am. But, more and more, I think we all, as actors, again, whether it's animation or live-action, you begin to sort of take more and more ownership of the character. I'm always honoring where Robert and Simon and Meredith — where the smart people in the room [chuckles] — are taking Nolan and Omni-Man, but it's great. It's a great collaboration to bring my own take on it.

Simmons Has Already Completed A Bit Of Invincible Season 4

"...I think it's going to be a couple of months before I get back into the studio again."

Close-up of Nolan Grayson looking sad, with General Kregg in the background in Invincible S2 Ep6

Prior to season 3's premiere, it was announced that Invincible season 4 was already renewed, staying true to many of the cast and crew's assurances that the turnaround time between seasons would be shorter than the three-year wait for season 2. This is already looking to be true, as Simmons revealed he has already "recorded a tiny bit of season 4", even while acknowledging he won't go back for the bulk of his work for a couple of months:

J.K. Simmons: Yeah, I have already recorded a tiny bit of season 4, and I think it's going to be a couple of months before I get back into the studio again. And I don't know in advance where we're going, I'll know when they say we're going to do episodes 2-4 sometime in whatever it is, March, April, May. Sometime in the not too distant future, and then, obviously, a year later, they'll be done with animating it and it'll come out. [Chuckles]

Simmons' Lips Are Sealed On His Potential Spider-Man 4 Return

Filming Is Set To Begin Soon On The MCU Sequel

In looking beyond the show, but still keeping the topic in the world of superheroes, Simmons was asked about the chances of his Spider-Man 4 return, particularly as Tom Holland's Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel is on track for a July 2026 release date. After reprising his role of J. Jonah Jameson in the past two movies, though, Simmons is keeping his lips firmly sealed on whether he'll be back for the next movie, wanting to keep it a potential surprise for audiences:

JK Simmons: No spoilers. Sorry, I'm not telling. [Chuckles]

About Invincible Season 3

Based on the award-winning comic book series by Robert Kirkman, co-creator Cory Walker, and contributing creator Ryan Ottley, Invincible follows 17-year-old Mark Grayson, as he inherits his father’s superpowers and sets out to become Earth’s greatest defender, only to discover the job is more challenging than he could have ever imagined. Everything changes as Mark is forced to face his past, and his future, while discovering how much further he'll need to go to protect the people he loves.

Check out our other Invincible season 3 interview with Steven Yeun, Gillian Jacobs & Jason Mantzoukas!

New episodes of Invincible season 3 air Thursdays on Prime Video!

Source: ScreenRant Plus