Peter Cullen’s ‘Invincible’ Season 2 Entrance Changes the Show

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Invincible Season 2, Episode 3.

The Big Picture

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• Invincible Season 2 adds acclaimed actors like Sterling K. Brown, and Lea Thompson to its star-studded cast.
• Legendary voice actor Peter Cullen, known for voicing Optimus Prime, joins the cast as the Coalition of Planets leader Thaedus.
• Thaedus’ portrayal in the TV series diverges from the comics, raising questions about his true motivations and potential role as an antagonist.

The cast of Robert Kirkman‘s Invincible is star-studded, filled with veterans of the superhero and comic book genres as well as other animated series, including seasoned voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson, who voices Monster Girl’s monstrous persona and both of the Mauler Twins. Season 2 has added even more acclaimed actors to its ranks, such as Sterling K. Brown as dimension-hopping super genius Angstrom Levy and Lea Thompson as the head of a support group for superheroes’ spouses. But no addition excited viewers more than that of iconic voice actor Peter Cullen as Coalition of Planets leader Thaedus, whose appearance both delighted and shocked long-time fans of the comic.

Peter Cullen Has Voiced Many Characters From Iconic Franchises

If you’ve ever watched an American cartoon, you’ve almost certainly heard Cullen at work. He’s best known as the voice of Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots in the long-running Transformers franchise, a role he’s played since the animated series premiered in 1984. He reprised the part in two animated reboots as well as Michael Bay‘s live-action films and a dozen video games. Cullen earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for the role, is set to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award this December, and was even immortalized on the TCL Chinese Theater Walk of Fame, adding his handprints to Optimus Prime’s star in 2014. But Prime is far from his only famous character.

Cullen has also been the voice of Winnie the Pooh‘s melancholy donkey Eeyore since 1988, playing the character in multiple TV shows and movies over the last three and a half decades. He’s shown up in several Scooby-Doo and Spider-Man series, The Smurfs, the original My Little Pony, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Predator, and dozens of other series and movies. Few actors have had such a broad impact over so many years. Until recently, Cullen had been out of the spotlight for several years. After appearing in three episodes of the series Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and narrating the video game Crystal Crisis in 2019, Cullen took a short break from voice work. However, in 2023, he returned in full force, providing the voice of Optimus Prime yet again in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and Fortnite and joining the cast of Invincible Season 2 as the Great Thaedus.

Who Is Thaedus in ‘Invincible’?

Although he’s appeared in only one episode of Invincible so far, Thaedus’ role in the comics is significant. He founded and led the Coalition of Planets, an alliance of many civilizations, headquartered on the planet Talescria, who joined together to resist the spread of the Viltrum Empire. He oversaw Allen the Alien’s (Seth Rogen) genetic engineering and training, and worked closely with him in the search for people who could stand up to Viltrum.

Interestingly, Thaedus’ actions in the TV series have diverged sharply from his characterization in the comics. Originally, though he hides a deep secret from the rest of the Coalition, he’s still a good guy — completely devoted to the fight against the Viltrumites and willing to risk his own life in its service. However, in the TV show, after Allen is attacked and nearly killed by Viltrumites who have been fed information from a mole inside the Coalition, Thaedus visits him in the hospital and turns off his life support — something that never happened in the comics. This has led many viewers to assume that he’s actually the mole.

Cullen’s deep voice and measured style bring a sense of gravitas to characters like Prime, making him a perfect choice to play the Coalition leader. Thaedus is ancient by most species’ standards, and has seen and done things that would break a weaker character. He’s taken it upon himself to assume responsibility for defeating Viltrum — not quite single-handedly, but not far from it either. In fact, the character has a lot in common with Optimus Prime, from his advanced age to the sense that he carries the weight of the universe on his shoulders.

Where Will Amazon’s ‘Invincible’ Adaptation Take the Character of Thaedus?

So far, the Invincible TV series has adhered more closely to the comics than many adaptations do to their source material, but Thaedus’ apparent betrayal of Allen is a major departure from the original story. In the comic, when Allen had nearly recovered from his injuries, Thaedus instead took Allen into his confidence, revealing his secret to him and asking for his trust. The two continued to work in a close partnership throughout the Viltrumite War. However, Thaedus’ actions in Episode 3 indicate that the show’s writers will be taking the character — and potentially the entire storyline of the Viltrumite War — in a different direction. Thaedus might still be devoted to the anti-Viltrum cause and simply acting in what he believes to be its best interest, even at the cost of Allen’s life. On the other hand, if he takes an evil turn, he might prove to be a new and compelling antagonist, undermining the Coalition’s mission to defeat Viltrum.

Though Thaedus was an important character in the comic, his appearances were sporadic; he showed up in just nine issues, and in two of those he appeared only in flashbacks. As Coalition leader, he did much of his work behind the scenes, delegating authority and sending others on missions, and only rarely getting involved in the action himself (though he did fight in arguably the most important battle). If Thaedus serves a similar role in the TV series, we’ll likely hear Cullen’s voice only occasionally — but if Kirkman pivots the character into an antagonistic role, he might become a regular, like Richardson’s Mauler Twins. Of course, Cullen could also take on more parts in the show: multiple actors — including Richardson, Ross Marquand, Chris Diamantopoulos, and more — voice more than one character, and Cullen has done so in other series. (Most notably, he voiced both Prime and Ironhide, as well as several other minor characters, in The Transformers.)

Regardless of where the series takes the character, seeing — or rather hearing — Peter Cullen back on our screens is a treat for fans, and apparently for Robert Kirkman too. The series has been a hit with viewers and critics alike, meaning that with any luck, the show and Cullen’s role in it will be around for many seasons to come.

Invincible is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S.