Mark Grayson sitting on his balcony while holding his mask and looking mentally exhausted in Invincible
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Kyle McLeod
Published 12 minutes ago
Kyle is a senior writer at ScreenRant and has been part of the team for over two years. Having led coverage on The Walking Dead projects alongside Rick & Morty, Kyle is well versed in numerous genres.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Kyle is a passionate journalist who has a keen interest in TV and film. He has six years of experience studying journalism including a HND in Practical Journalism and a BA Honours in Journalism, Media and Communication and History. Alongside his love for TV and film, Kyle enjoys video games, football and Formula 1.
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Ever since playing Jesse in Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul has become a household name and has been involved in various big projects, including Prime Video's Invincible. The animated superhero show has become one of the platform's biggest hits thanks to its incredible writing and cast, but despite Paul's memorable introduction as Powerplex, he already has a great replacement.
Despite not being a central character, Aaron Paul's performance as Powerplex in Invincible season 3 made him one of Mark Grayson's best foes yet, as the complex antagonist had an entire episode dedicated to him. He provided a powerful and tragic display of how the protagonist's actions can accidentally cause ordinary civilians to become vengeful supervillains despite Mark's good intentions.
With the character having such a compelling debut episode, it looked certain that Powerplex would be a recurring villain throughout Invincible season 4 and beyond. However, Aaron Paul's recent update suggests this will no longer be the case, at least from his point of view, and the actor has the ideal superhero IP waiting to replace Invincible.
Aaron Paul Confirmed That He Won’t Return As Powerplex In Invincible Season 4
Powerplex celebrating in front of a dead Mark Grayson variant in InvincibleImage via Prime Video
Invincible is no stranger to bringing in big names as part of its cast, but despite Aaron Paul being an exciting addition to the series, it seems he will no longer be involved going forward. In an interview with Kinda Funny Games, Paul revealed that he won't be returning in Invincible season 4.
According to the Breaking Bad star, playing Powerplex was "way too grueling on my psyche", claiming he didn't feel comfortable while depicting the antagonist. Given he has made a career out of portraying tragic and tormented characters, it's understandable that he was mentally exhausted diving into this kind of role, hence why he decided to move on.
What this means for Powerplex is yet to be seen, as he does appear again in the source material, meaning the show may have to replace Paul. This wouldn't be unfamiliar territory for the comic adaptation though, as Invincible recast Mahershal Ali's Titan as well as Ezra Miller's D.A. Sinclair, with many fans not even noticing the swap.
However, it's still a blow to lose Paul so soon after he entered this great fictional universe, but for fans hoping to see Paul in another superhero setting, I have great news.
Aaron Paul Already Has Another Great Superhero IP To Focus On
Flambae, Coupe, Invisigal, Punch-Up, Sonar, and Malevola chatting while Robert watches them in the background - Dispatch
While many Invincible fans might be rightfully sad that Aaron Paul is no longer connected to the project, his new superhero IP is arguably even better for him. Dispatch is a video game centering around Robert Robertson III, AKA Mecha Man (Aaron Paul), who takes on the role of a superhero dispatcher while waiting for his mech to be repaired.
Its charming script, lively characters, incredible performances, stunning visuals, and memorable soundtrack all combined to capture a healthy audience, selling over 2 million copies. Given that it was made by a new studio, it's safe to say Dispatch has performed way above expectations, and it clearly has lots of potential to continue for years to come.
Fans are already desperate for a sequel after the story concluded, and considering that it was initially meant to be a TV show, there is so much room to expand. Whether Dispatch gets the video game adaptation treatment or the highly demanded second game, there is almost no way we won't see more from this exciting superhero universe.
As a result, Aaron Paul will likely return, given that he plays the franchise's protagonist. Mecha Man is undoubtedly complex in his own right, but his story and background aren't nearly as haunting as Powerplex's, making Dispatch the ideal replacement for Invincible.
Why Dispatch’s Mecha Man Is A Better Role For Aaron Paul Than Invincible’s Powerplex
Mecha Man growling inside his mech suit during a battle in Dispatch
Alongside it being a less mentally intense role, Dispatch's Mecha Man is undoubtedly a better fit for Aaron Paul than Invincible's Powerplex. After a show-stealing performance in Invincible season 3, episode 6, there was definitely an appetite to see more of Powerplex, but he is still only a side character at the end of the day.
His overall impact in the story is minimal compared to other villains, meaning Paul would only appear here and there as a minor threat. In contrast, Mecha Man is the lead in Dispatch and is at the core of why people love this game so much, since he is a true hero willing to put himself on the line to help others.
Redeeming former villains becomes Robert's main objective, and the Dispatch universe allows for comedy and light-hearted subplots, while still having an emotional narrative at the same time. Additionally, the supporting crew also brings the best out of Aaron Paul's Mecha Man, with the entire cast having great chemistry.
Dispatch season 1's ending also means there is much more to explore regarding Robert's future as a hero, a dispatcher, as well as his romantic life and relationship with the Z-Team, which fans would love to see expanded. Therefore, it would be nice to see Aaron Paul avoid an emotionally destroyed character in favor of someone more heroic and optimistic.
There Is Still No Guarantee That Aaron Paul Will Reprise His Role As Mecha Man
Robert lying on the floor with a nosebleed as Sonar picks up a Twinkie in Dispatch
Although the stage is set for Aaron Paul to reprise his role as Mecha Man, there is still no guarantee it will happen. Firstly, a second game hasn't been officially greenlit yet, nor has any sort of TV adaptation, meaning while more from the world of Dispatch seems inevitable, it remains unconfirmed.
Secondly, the fact that each player made their own unique choices that gave them contrasting relationships and endings means following the same set of characters could be tough. It's not impossible by any means, but these different outcomes complicate things since there is no official canon.
Finally, Aaron Paul claimed it took him two years to do the voice recording for Dispatch, and while that may be because of all the changes during production, committing to another game will be a big ask. Fortunately, Paul seemed to love his time working on Dispatch, and the community seems eager for more.
Therefore, it still looks incredibly likely that Dispatch will return in some capacity, hopefully with Paul involved, making it the perfect franchise to replace his former superhero role in Invincible.
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Like Follow Followed Invincible TV-MA Animation Adventure Action
8/10
184
8.9/10
Release Date
March 26, 2021
Network
Amazon Prime Video
Cast
See All-
Steven Yeun
Mark Grayson / Invincible (voice)
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Sandra Oh
Debbie Grayson (voice)
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Like Follow Followed Dispatch Strategy Point-and-click Adventure Systems
10/10
OpenCritic Reviews
Top Critic Avg:
88/100
Critics Rec:
94%
Released
October 22, 2025
ESRB
Mature 17+ / Blood, Crude Humor, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
Developer(s)
AdHoc Studio
Publisher(s)
AdHoc Studio
Number of Players
Single-player
Steam Deck Compatibility
Unknown
PC Release Date
October 22, 2025
Upcoming narrative-based superhero video game featuring Aaron Paul and Jeffrey Wright
Genre(s) Strategy, Point-and-click, Adventure Powered by
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