The creator of Invincible was concerned that Enterprise had ruined the main cast

“Invincible” is coming to a close, and neither fans nor Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) are prepared for what the Viltrum Empire has in store for them. Mark barely faces Conquest (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), one of the most powerful beings in the universeat the end of Season 3, and it took everything in our young hero’s power to stop one powerful Viltrumite.

Now, “Invincible” Season 4 is poised to introduce a more powerful villain, arguably the Big Bad Evil Guy (to use a “Dungeons & Dragons” term) of the entire series. That would be a reference to Thragg, the leader of the entire Viltrum Empire. We have previously speculated about Who should voice Thrag in “Invincible”? Many fans were also hoping that Morgan would play the character before he was cast as Conquest. However, what we never thought was that creator/showrunner Robert Kirkman would choose one of 2025’s best villain actors to portray his animated antagonist: Lee Pace.

/ Devin Meenan of the movie has already explained in depth Why Lee Pace is the perfect choice to play ThraggAnd also the reason for his unexpected choice. In fact, his casting was, to some extent, as much a surprise to Kirkman as it was to fans, as the former was concerned that he wouldn’t be able to get Pace due to his role in “The Enterprise.”

Talk to Entertainment WeeklyKirkman revealed that he had envisioned Pace in the role even before “Invincible” began, citing his love for the actor’s work in “Halt and Catch Fire” and “Pushing Daisies.” However, when The Establishment chose Bess to play her king “I was also like, ‘Is this (too) close? Would I be able to cast him as Thragg if he was available? Would that work?'” Kirkman admitted of the mighty Galactic Empire.

Now, one can understand why Kirkman was worried about Bess playing another evil Emperor character. At the same time, anyone who’s watched “Foundation” (especially season three) knows that Pace can draw hell out of the archetype. Throughout the series, the actor excels at showing the many sides of Emperor Cleon, portraying him as a proud and boastful tyrant, an angry man who desperately clings to power, and even a laid-back “Big Lebowski”-style bro who prefers to relax in his garden, clone extinct animals, and get high. His character’s transformations are the highlight of the entire show and an exceptional display of Bess’s skills as an actor, so he should have no problem playing another emperor.

As Pace told EW, the Cleons are chaotic, but Thragg is “this very strong person who faces very strong obstacles, bringing him to his knees. So, you watch this organized, strong, disciplined, confident person — not even someone as we think of humans, he’s way above that — the story unravels him.”

Furthermore, Kirkman said, the thing that makes Thragg a different kind of threat is his “sense of calm and sense of confidence.” Thanks to his incredible strength, the character never feels threatened, and as such, does not become emotional during his battles. Whatever it is, he’s coming to Earth for a purpose, and that makes him dangerous. As Kirkman explained, “There’s a sense of drive to him where he identifies with the Viltrumite, and there are things he wants to achieve for the Viltrumite that are very important to him.”

“Invincible” Season 4 will begin streaming on Prime Video in March 2026.