One A-List Star Keeps Saying No to Invincible — Here’s Why
Invincible may boast an A-list voice cast, but Robert Kirkman and Simon Racioppa still can’t land their white whale: Bryan Cranston. He keeps turning down roles — and they’re not giving up.
If you think the cast of Invincible already has every big name in animation, well, you’re mostly right. But there’s one A-lister who just won’t bite, and the show’s creators aren’t shy about making it a running gag: Bryan Cranston keeps turning them down, season after season.
The Great Cranston Chase
Robert Kirkman (the guy behind Invincible and The Walking Dead) and co-showrunner Simon Racioppa are on what can only be described as a mission. They want Bryan Cranston—yes, that Bryan Cranston—to finally lend his voice to an Invincible character. And so far, Cranston keeps giving them the polite Hollywood version of 'leave me alone, thanks.'
In a recent chat with DiscussingFilm, Kirkman was pretty blunt about it:
"We're not going to stop offering him roles—he's not going to beat us!"
Racioppa even jokingly asked the interviewer to help track Cranston down before Kirkman could. (Kirkman shot that idea down, saying, 'No, that's desperate. Don't do that, Simon. We'll get him.')
Not For Lack of Trying
Cranston's refusal is kind of legendary on the Invincible crew now. Kirkman has openly admitted that, across every season, they've asked Cranston to come on board. According to him, Cranston is 'literally the only actor that has turned us down.' Imagine the boardroom: a wall covered in strings and headshots, and only Cranston's keeps falling off.
Meanwhile, in the Multiverse of Breaking Bad
The wild part? Breaking Bad is already sending its alumni over. Season 3 brought in Aaron Paul (as the supervillain Powerplex) and Jonathan Banks, so the 'Walter White refuses to break animated' situation is getting awkward. The Invincible cast is already stacked—Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, for starters—but Cranston remains the one that got away.
What's Cranston Up To, Anyway?
If you're wondering why Cranston keeps ghosting team Invincible, it's probably his calendar. He's got the Apple TV+ comedy The Studio with Seth Rogen (which sounds like it’ll be packed with meta Hollywood humor) and apparently there’s a Malcolm in the Middle revival brewing at Disney. Basically: the man is busy.
Where We Are Now
- Kirkman and Racioppa have tried (and failed) to get Cranston for every season of Invincible.
- Other Breaking Bad stars—Aaron Paul and Jonathan Banks—are already part of the show.
- Kirkman is openly vowing to keep up the chase, no matter how many polite 'no thank yous' he collects.
- Invincible Season 4 just wrapped on Prime Video, with Lee Pace debuting as Thragg, the big bad from the comics’ Viltrumite War arc.
- Cranston is currently busy with other projects, but it sounds like Kirkman and crew will not be stopped.
Kirkman's latest rallying cry for team Cranston? 'We're coming for you, Cranston.' So don’t be surprised if next season features a running 'where’s Bryan' joke—or if one day Cranston finally gives in and voices an alien, just to get these guys off his back.