'Wasn't the original plan': Invincible showrunner explains why season 2 is releasing in two parts

Mark Grayson sits as he holds his superhero mask in Invincible season 2

Invincible fans are divided over the decision to release Invincible season 2 in two parts. (Image credit: Prime Video)

Invincible co-showrunner Simon Racioppa has defended the decision to release the hit Prime Video show's second season in two parts.

Speaking exclusively to TechRadar, Racioppa revealed it "wasn't the original plan" to split Invincible season 2 in two, but production delays – mostly owing to the Covid-19 pandemic – meant it was a necessity.

Invincible's fanbase was divided over the two-part release format when the announcement was made in late July. Like its predecessor, the R-rated animated series' next entry will comprise eight episodes. However, unlike Invincible season 1, the Prime Video show's sophomore season will have a mid-season break, meaning audiences will only see the first four episodes before 2023 ends.

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Season 2's final four installments are due to arrive in early 2024. But, with no launch date confirmed yet, some fans are disappointed that there'll be another wait for more gruesome, funny, and heartfelt adventures with Mark Grayson and company.

Indeed, viewers have already spent two and a half years waiting for season 2 to debut on Amazon's primary streaming service. The frustration, then, has been palpable among some fans, including those in one specific July 2023 Reddit thread who suggested they'd have been happy to wait until next year for all eight episodes to drop.

#Invincible season 2 part 1 doesn't just confirm the hit Prime Video series as one of the best superhero offerings of modern times - it's also 2023's new unbeatable superhero show. Read more in my spoiler-free review: https://t.co/G5Go6stddUOctober 30, 2023

Racioppa is aware of those views, but Invincible's head writer is confident that new and established fans will recognize why the show's creative team and Amazon made the difficult decision to make them "wait a little longer" for the second half of season 2.

"It was discussed by all parties," Racioppa told me when I asked him who made the decision to break up Invincible season 2's episodic run. "When we started season 2, it wasn't the original plan but, unfortunately, many different circumstances came up during production that made us realize this was the best way to do this.

"We want to give the fans some episodes now and then ask them to wait just a little longer for the others. So no, it wasn't a story-based decision but, as I'm sure you know, there are a multitude of things that can happen during production that can affect your release date. We just felt this was the best way to present season 2 and get it out to the fans."

Mark Grayson appears on a giant TV screen in a destroyed city in Invincible season 2 — "People of Earth! If you're unhappy that season 2 is coming in two parts, don't take it out on me. Because, remember, I'm –" (Image credit: Amazon Studios)

Thankfully, the near-three-year wait for Invincible season 2 – or, rather, its first half – has been worth it. In our Invincible season 2 part 1 review, we called it "2023's unbeatable superhero show" that "takes everything great about its predecessor and dials everything up to 11". That's good news, too, considering Invincible's next outing is part of Prime Video's exciting late 2023 line-up that's making me cancel my Netflix account.

With Invincible season 3 also announced alongside the show's second season in April 2021, and Kirkman confirming the gap between seasons 2 and 3 won't be as long as the one fans have experienced (per Collider), the wait for more episodes won't be as severe once season 2 has released in full, either.

We'll have more exclusive Invincible season 2 coverage coming your way over the next four weeks, so check back with us regularly to hear more from Racioppa, plus Invincible co-creator Robert Kirkman, about their wildly ambitious plan for season 2, spoiler-filled analysis, and more.

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

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