J.K. Simmon’s Omni-Man has played a smaller role throughout Invincible Season 3 than in seasons past. Partnered with Allen the Alien, the Viltrumite has spent months wasting away in prison, slowly processing the consequences of his destructive and homicidal actions on Earth.

Whilst Invincible’s ongoing quarrel with Cecil Stedman continues to underpin the recent slew of episodes, Omni-man’s struggle with his own personal demons has raged on in the background. This has been a period of reflection for Invincible’s most estranged anti-hero. Despite his absence, Nolan’s importance to the journey of Mark Grayson, played by Steven Yeun, still overshadows every episode of the series. Now that audiences and Mark have had time to recover from his turn as the universe’s worst parent, it feels like this is the right moment for Omni-Man to return to the fray.

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In an exclusive interview with Collider, J.K. Simmons sat down to talk through his thoughts about the direction of the current season and how his iconic performance continues to influence the show.

Omni-Man Is Evolving As A Father

Papa Don’t Preach

Collider asked Simmons if he had any insight about the Viltrumite’s feelings towards his two sons, Oliver and Mark:

“I do think there would be differences in the way he’s approaching Oliver as a mentor, as a father.”

It seems that Omni-Man has learned a lot since his time on Earth, and it’s unfortunate that Mark had to bear the brunt of his previous mistakes. Mark Grayson was dealing with a very different character in Season 1. Omni-Man was a strict, hard-line and idolatrous believer in the cause of the Viltrumite Empire. The man beat his son to a state of near death and, when questioned about the love he felt towards Mark’s mother, coldly replied: “She’s more like a pet to me.” The young Thraxan-Viltrumtie, however, was too young at the time of his upbringing to understand his father’s dark past, and now holds a slightly more glorified view of Nolan’s heroics.

By Season 2, it was clear that Nolan’s attitudes had begun to shift dramatically after the birth of Oliver. Towards the end of “It’s Been A While”, the mid-Season 2 finale, Omni-Man derided the empathy he felt for his newly adopted people, the Thraxans: “Why do I care about them?! They were weak. Short Lived. Barely a species. They shouldn’t matter to me.” It seems like every time Nolan has a child, his iron-clad indoctrination weakens. Simmons confirmed this by commenting that “the Viltrumite, continues to be sort of surprised by these human aspects that seem to be sort of against his will“. So, if Omni-Man ever got the chance to train Oliver further down the line, it’s safe to assume that the second son would receive an easier ride than the first.

J.K. Simmons Knows You’re Posting Memes

The Man Has Kids, You Guys

In one of the lighter parts of the interview, Collider asked Simmons if he was aware of the intense internet meme culture that surrounds the franchise. The most notable meme that springs to mind is the now famous Season 1 clip:

Simmons wittily retorted: “What are you, you’re assuming that I don’t just find those myself all the time?” Still in an upbeat manner, he continued to say that his kids keep him updated with the latest jokes: “Sometimes it’s just, you know, my son going down the YouTube rabbit hole a little too far, you know, finding me.“

So, for all those Invincible fans thinking of posting another Omni-Man meme. Be careful. J.K. Simmons has a solid chance of seeing it.

Omni-Man vs Homelander Is No Contest To J.K. Simmons

Talk About A Killer Wrestlemania Event

When asked about which character Simmons would like Omni-Man to crossover with outside the show, the veteran actor did not skip a beat in addressing a long-discussed match-up with Invincible’s rival show on Amazon Prime, The Boys. Homelander has obviously been compared to Omni-Man on many occasions, as the two are their franchises’ respective dark twist on the idea of a Superman gone rogue. Simmons wasn’t pulling any punches:

“Well, I wouldn’t mind kicking Homelander’s ass. I think he’s got it coming.”

Fans are still eager to see Omni-Man make a return in the upcoming finale of Season 3. Nolan has been waiting on the sidelines for too long. After a lengthy period of self-reflection, the time is now right for him to intervene. During his recent prison break, the villain-turned protagonist unveiled a hidden secret sitting at the heart of his people’s tyrannical Empire: only fifty pure-blooded members (those as powerful as Omni-Man) still exist in the whole universe. Audiences will have to stay tuned in to find out if Nolan is about to help make the galaxy a better place, and bring those numbers down into single digits.

Invincible Season 3 is now streaming on Prime Video, with the finale arriving on March 13th.

Invincible

Release Date

2008 – 2007

Network

MTV

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  Patrick Cavanaugh

  Mark Grayson / Invincible (voice)

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  Pete Sepenuk

  Nolan Grayson / Omni-Man (voice)

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  Victoria Garcia-Kelleher

  Debbie Grayson (voice)

Source: Collider