Why Mark's Best Friend, William, Was Recast For Invincible Season 4

Invincible season 4 went through quite an evolution, from changing genres to introducing its toughest villain yet, but one of the show’s most noticeable differences from its past seasons was William Clockwell (Andrew Rannells), Mark Grayson’s (Steven Yeun) best friend. Apart from its great animation and action, Invincible has always had a great voice cast, with the likes of Sterling K. Brown, Mahershala Ali, J.K. Simmons, Walton Goggins, Jonathan Groff, and Sandra Oh taking on roles in the series.

For the first three seasons, Mark’s witty and loyal best friend William was voiced by Rannells. However, in Invincible season 4, episode 4, “Hurm,” one of the few installments that isn’t focused on the Viltrumite war, William’s voice seemed a bit different, and fans immediately noticed. It turns out, Rannells was replaced by a new actor, Brandon Scott Jones, who’s known for his work in Ghosts and Renfield. For many, the change in voice came as a shock, as the creators of Invincible didn’t make any official announcement regarding the casting change.

In fact, even Rannells himself had no idea about why he was recast. While speaking to The Direct during the red carpet premiere of Miss You, Love You, Rannells was asked why he didn’t return as William in Invincible season 4. “I’m not exactly sure why. I think there was maybe a little restructuring,” the actor responded, proving that his exclusion from the cast wasn’t his choice. However, he admitted he was grateful to have been part of the first three seasons of Invincible.

Invincible isn’t a stranger to changing voice actors, as the series has quietly recast characters before. Titan (originally voiced by Mahershala Ali) was replaced by Todd Williams, while Ross Marquand was cast in place of Zachary Quinto and voiced Robot in Invincible season 4.

However, just because fans are used to these cast changes doesn’t mean they were happy with what happened to William. Many felt the new vocal performance veered too heavily into over-the-top gay stereotypes and lacked Rannells’ charisma, and fans are actively campaigning for Rannells’ return in Invincible season 5.

William Should Have A Bigger Role In Invincible Season 5

Most of the latest season takes place in space, with the Coalition of Planets fighting to take down the Viltrumite villains. By the time Invincible season 4 ended, Mark had come into an uncomfortable alliance with Grand Regent Thragg (Lee Pace), who decided to stay on Earth with his people and increase the Viltrumite population. The upcoming season of Invincible, which is slated to be released sometime in 2027, will most likely be set on the humans’ home planet, with Mark facing a different villain. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that his battle with Thragg is over.

With Invincible season 5 likely to be set on Earth for most of its duration, the show has the perfect chance to include more of William, who has easily become a fan favorite character. We barely got to see him in Invincible season 4, as most of the exciting events took place either in space or on Talescria, so he woefully faded into the background, which was a shame. Apart from Debbie, William is one of the few normal people in Mark’s life, since he doesn’t have any superpowers or any real skin in the game.

Invincible Rotten Tomatoes Score
Season	Critics’ Score	Audience Score
1	98%	94%
2	100%	90%
3	100%	93%
4	100%	87%

Once in a while, Invincible needs somebody to bring him down to Earth and offer a listening ear and objective opinions about all the superhero stuff, because without William, Mark’s life would feel like nothing but fights, aliens, and trauma. Granted, Mark is no longer in college, and so the time he will get to spend with his best friend is limited, given that he is a superhero. However, there is still space for William in the show, as his humor and humanity are a welcome change of pace.

There’s no denying the fact that, as Invincible goes on, there will be little time to focus on William. Mark will eventually have to face Thragg and the remaining members of his Viltrumite army. But before that happens, Robert Kirkman has the opportunity to give William some screen time in Invincible season 5.

Source: The Direct