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
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
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
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
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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Dispatch
Systems
- Released
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October 22, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, Crude Humor, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
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AdHoc Studio
- Publisher(s)
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AdHoc Studio
- Number of Players
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Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
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Unknown
- PC Release Date
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October 22, 2025
