Why Lee Pace Looks So Familiar Ahead of Invincible Season 4
Variety reports Lee Pace will menace Invincible season 4 as Thragg, the Viltrumite warlord and main villain — a role that taps the gravitas he brought to The Hobbit's Elvenking and Marvel's Ronan the Accuser.
Lee Pace is suiting up as the big bad in Invincible season 4, and honestly, that makes a lot of sense. He’ll voice Thragg, a top-tier Viltrumite with a god complex and the muscle to back it up. Variety had the casting first, and the reveal happened on a New York Comic Con panel, where things got a little nerdy in the best way.
The announcement (and why this is a flex)
At NYCC, Robert Kirkman said he’s been eyeing Pace for Thragg since before the show was even a thing. That’s not the usual casting story. He also admitted he worried Foundation might make Pace a tricky fit because Brother Day and Thragg share a certain imperial vibe. Apparently not a dealbreaker.
Pace couldn’t say much without spoiling anything, but he was clearly fired up about the character and the scope of what he gets to do.
"Let me just start with that he looks cool as hell! The character looks so badass. 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."
He also noted he hasn’t really had the chance to voice a character like this before, which should be fun given how he tends to disappear into these larger-than-life roles.
Why Pace is an easy sell for this
Pace has made a career out of playing characters who command the room, whether they’re ethereal, calculating, or straight-up terrifying. He’s versatile, he’s well-liked on and off screen, and he brings a kind of theatrical intensity that fits Thragg like a glove.
- The Hobbit trilogy: Thranduil, the very extra Elvenking
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Captain Marvel (2019): Ronan the Accuser
- Foundation (2021–present): Brother Day, one of the clone emperors running a galaxy
- Halt and Catch Fire (2014–2017): Joe MacMillan
- Pushing Daisies (2007–2008): Ned
So, who exactly is Thragg?
In the comics, Thragg is the leader of the Viltrumites and basically their apex predator. He’s not just strong; he’s fast and surgical, which is why fighting him is usually a losing proposition. He prizes strength, dominance, and loyalty. He’s ruthless, but if you prove you’re useful, he’s not above giving you another shot.
As for where the show is headed: after Conquest (one of Thragg’s heavy hitters) comes up short in season 3, the boss decides to handle business himself in the next installment. Translation: things are about to escalate.
The bottom line
Lee Pace as Thragg is sharp casting with real teeth. If you know his work, you can see the lane. If you don’t, you’re about to. Invincible streams on Prime Video in the U.S.