Despite playing Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul found his Invincible role "too grueling" so he turned down season 4

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Despite playing Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul found his Invincible role "too grueling" so he turned down season 4 News By Bradley Russell published 24 November 2025

The Breaking Bad actor didn't feel comfortable in Powerplex's skin

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(Image credit: Reliance Entertainment Productions)

Aaron Paul has declined to return to his supervillain role in Invincible season 4 because he found the part "way too grueling on [his] psyche."

Paul, who played Powerplex in the third season of the Prime Video superhero series, told Kinda Funny Games, "They asked me to come back for the next season. That show, I'm such a fan of – I watch every episode. But it was just way too grueling on my psyche."

He continued, "I have so much respect for what they're doing, but Powerplex, man. He's not just messing around; he's going through turmoil. How I approach everything I do, I really put myself in that skin. It was a skin I didn't feel comfortable in. I didn't want to do it anymore."

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In the third season, Powerplex arrived on Invincible's radar after the accidental deaths of his sister and niece, which the supervillain believed was down to the half-Viltrumite hero. He even helped fight back a multiverse's worth of Invincibles in the third season's Invincible War. It's not yet known if the character will be recast or cast aside in future episodes.

Paul, of course, has previous playing characters who have been put through the emotional wringer – most notably, Breaking Bad's Jesse Pinkman. In the final season of the AMC show, he ended up being physically tortured by neo-Nazis, while also reckoning with emotional manipulation at the hands of Walter White.

The actor has also returned to the superhero space in breakout video game Dispatch, where he plays the role of Mecha Man.

Invincible season 4 hits Prime Video in March 2026. For more, check out our picks for best Prime Video shows, then look ahead to all the new TV shows coming your way soon.

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We also have our own interview with Aaron Paul, where he discusses finally making the leap to video games.

CATEGORIES Animated Shows Bradley RussellSocial Links Navigation

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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