Steven Yeun Never Expected Invincible To Be So Popular

Given studios' almost unfathomable success in adapting comic book superhero stories to the live-action realm over the past decade-plus, going the animated route to tackle such stories seems almost counter-intuitive. But any fan of superhero stories would tell you Prime Video's "Invincible" would prove that logic wholly inaccurate. In fact, some might argue "Invincible" is the best comic book adaptation currently in production. The series is adapted from Robert Kirkman's comic of the same name. Kirkman is the same mastermind who helped unleash "The Walking Dead" on the comic-loving masses a few years back. It's only fitting then that "Invincible" debuted with one of that series' breakout stars in the lead.

That star is Steven Yeun, who voices the animated hit's titular hero in the making. While "Invincible" doesn't boast quite as vast an audience as Kirkman's and Yeun's previous collaboration, the fanbase for the animated series is every bit as passionate. And as Yeun told Collider during a 2022 interview, he's pretty surprised by how fervid that fandom is. "I'll be honest, I did not expect this level of response," he said, adding, "People really enjoyed the show." The actor admitted that his surprise had less to do with the quality of the series, more than a possible misreading of the material's fanbase, saying, "That's not to say that I thought the show wouldn't be enjoyed. I just didn't know how many people were coming to it like that."

More than that, Steven Yeun admitted he'd likely underestimated the world's current obsession with adult animation, telling Collider, "To me, I think it speaks to America's appetite now for adult animation, which is really cool." If you've seen even a single episode of "Invincible," you know the series is indeed rife with distinctly adult-oriented material. As for why Yeun believes modern viewers connect so passionately with such graphic fare, he believes it's a generational thing, noting, "I grew up on it. I think all of us, of our generation and below, grew up on it."

According to Yeun, the passion surrounding adult-oriented animation will likely only continue to grow with the current crop of fans. "We're in a weird, cool time where I'm seeing so many kids watch anime and so many people watch adult animation," he told Collider, adding, "It's thriving." Not only does the actor see the art form prospering, he thinks it's about to jump to a whole new level, noting, "I think we're probably on the precipice of right before things really pop off. I think we're gonna get some hopefully [Hayao] Miyazaki levels of animation ... It's a new world."

As for the place of "Invincible" in that prophesied new world of animated gods and monsters, Season 2 of the series is set to hit the Prime Video platform sometime in 2023, and Season 3 has already been greenlit. And given how fans are devouring the animated feast, it'll likely continue for many more seasons.