At New York Comic Con on Friday evening, Lee Pace was unveiled as the actor portraying Thragg, the formidable Grand Regent of the Viltrumites, in the upcoming fourth season of the Amazon Prime Video series Invincible. This casting announcement excited fans familiar with Robert Kirkman’s comic books, as Pace’s Invincible Thragg will mark a pivotal villainous presence when the new season premieres in March 2026.
Lee Pace Joins Invincible as the Viltrumite Leader Thragg
Lee Pace, known for his work in Foundation, the Hobbit films, and Running Man, is stepping into the role of Thragg, a major antagonist in Invincible’s storyline. The reveal took place during a panel where Pace and Robert Kirkman, the series co-creator and co-showrunner, discussed the character’s introduction and the adaptation of the Viltrumite War arc from the comics. Thragg succeeds Conquest, another powerful Viltrumite warrior who previously battled Mark Grayson, the show’s protagonist, in a brutal confrontation across multiple cities.
The new season will also welcome actor Matthew Rhys (The Americans) alongside returning cast members including Gillian Jacobs as Atom Eve, Sandra Oh as Debbie Grayson, J.K. Simmons as Omni-Man, and Walton Goggins as Cecil Stedman.
Robert Kirkman’s Vision and Casting Journey for Thragg
Robert Kirkman shared that he envisioned Lee Pace for the role of Thragg even before the series began. He explained his hesitation after Pace’s role in the Apple TV+ sci-fi drama Foundation, where he portrayed Brother Day, one of the clones ruling a galactic empire.
“Oddly enough, I’ve had Lee in mind for this role almost before the show existed,”
Robert Kirkman, series co-creator and co-showrunner
“To be completely honest, when he was cast in Foundation, I was also like, ‘Is this [too] close? Am I gonna be able to cast him as Thragg if he’s available? Is this gonna work?'”
Robert Kirkman, series co-creator and co-showrunner
Despite the overlap in sci-fi genres, Kirkman emphasized the distinctness of the characters and affirmed that Pace was the natural choice to portray Thragg. Kirkman highlighted,
“It was great watching that show and seeing there are big differences here,”
Robert Kirkman, series co-creator and co-showrunner
“There are a few characters where I’ve always had an actor in mind, and Thragg was one of those and Lee was the actor.”
Robert Kirkman, series co-creator and co-showrunner
Exploring Thragg’s Character Depth and Power
Thragg, depicted with a distinct mustache and as the most powerful Viltrumite leader, embodies raw strength and authority that overshadow any foe. While Conquest, the previous antagonist, violently challenged Mark Grayson, Thragg commands a deeper menace due to his calm and calculated nature. Lee Pace expressed admiration for Thragg’s appearance and complexity as he prepared to bring the character to life.
“Let me just start with that he looks cool as hell! The character looks so badass,”
Lee Pace, actor portraying Thragg
“As I was learning more about the story we were setting up, what I saw was a character with a lot of depth and a lot of different extremes. He goes through a lot. I don’t want to say too much about that because we’re just at the beginning of it, but I’ve also never done anything like this before. I’ve never done a voice-to-character like this.”
Lee Pace, actor portraying Thragg
Kirkman expanded on Thragg’s personality, describing the villain as more than just an antagonist with power.
“The thing that shows power more than anything else is a sense of calm and a sense of confidence,”
Robert Kirkman, series co-creator and co-showrunner
“Thragg is an extremely complex character in that he is clearly a villain, but he’s one of those villains that has a very clear purpose. There’s a sense of drive to him where he has compassion for the Viltrumites, and there are things that he wants to accomplish for the Viltrumites that are very deeply important to him. So his motivation comes from a very human place.”
Robert Kirkman, series co-creator and co-showrunner
Kirkman praised Pace’s vocal performance recorded in secret, highlighting how his warm yet commanding delivery perfectly captures Thragg’s intimidating presence.
“very warm and calm and confident at times when he absolutely shouldn’t be,”
Robert Kirkman, series co-creator and co-showrunner
“When you’re around someone that is so powerful, they don’t have to do anything to show that power. There’s something really, really scary about that, and Lee captures that exceptionally well.”
Robert Kirkman, series co-creator and co-showrunner
Lee Pace Reflects on Playing Powerful Characters
With previous roles such as Brother Day and Elvenking Thranduill in the Hobbit trilogy, as well as Ronan the Accuser from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pace joked about his typecasting in roles of authority and darkness.
He described Thragg’s arc as a story of a dominant and disciplined figure who faces overwhelming challenges that shake his confidence and composure.
“with Thragg, you’ve got like this extraordinarily powerful person who is up against extraordinarily powerful obstacles, and it brings him to his knees,”
Lee Pace, actor portraying Thragg
“So you get to watch this organized, strong, disciplined, confident person — not even a person like we think about humans, he’s so much higher than that — the story dismantles him.”
Lee Pace, actor portraying Thragg
Expanding Thragg’s Story Beyond the Comics
Kirkman revealed that the television adaptation offers new material for Thragg’s character, including scenes absent from the original comics. Alongside co-showrunner Simon Racioppa, the team elaborated on the broader motivations and dimensions of Thragg’s persona that fans will discover.
“a lot of scenes that aren’t present in the comics involving Thragg,”
Robert Kirkman, series co-creator and co-showrunner
“There’s definitely a lot of things that you will know about the character that you may not have known.”
Robert Kirkman, series co-creator and co-showrunner
Fan Engagement Enhances Lee Pace’s Portrayal
Pace has immersed himself in the fan community’s discussions and content related to Thragg, including Reddit debates on the character’s strengths and YouTube rankings of the top battles involving Thragg. This research has helped him form a detailed understanding and connection with the villain.
“I do feel like I’m playing the character like I know him now,”
Lee Pace, actor portraying Thragg
“We’ve recorded enough and I’ve researched him enough, thought about him when I’m going on my runs and been inspired by the comic books, but also the fans’ engagement with the character. It all kind of goes in the machine, in a way.”
Lee Pace, actor portraying Thragg
As Invincible season 4 moves closer to its release, Lee Pace’s portrayal of Thragg promises an intense exploration of a layered adversary who challenges the series’ heroes in a way never seen before, raising anticipation among fans for what lies ahead in this high-stakes Viltrumite conflict.
