At the end of “Invincible” Season 3, Bruce Campbell joined the cast, appearing briefly in the finale’s post-credits scene with Damien Darkblood (Clancy Brown), voicing a then-unidentified demon. With the release of Season 4, Episode 4, we now know the character’s name: Satan.
A star-studded voice cast has been a hallmark of the animated series from the start. Alongside its core trio of Steven Yeun, J. K. Simmons, and Sandra Oh, “Invincible” has featured a wide range of recognizable guest and supporting talent, including Gillian Jacobs, Walton Goggins, Mark Hamill, Sterling K. Brown, Seth Rogen, and Mahershala Ali.
It’s fitting casting to add Campbell to the show’s sophisticated superhero universe, given that he rose to fame as the demon-slaying protagonist Ash Williams in Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead” trilogy. The actor has also made cameo appearances in Raimi’s superhero films, including the Tobey Maguire “Spider-Man” trilogy and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” making him well acquainted with the genre. His turn as Satan on “Invincible” is a bit different, but it also taps into his established reputation in Hollywood.
Bruce Campbell’s Satan isn’t quite what you’d expect
When Satan first appears in “Invincible” Season 3, he’s presented in an elderly, shriveled form. Campbell puts on an understated performance, reflecting what we learn in Season 4 is a severe diminishment in power from what the character has historically been. The arc that follows is entirely new to the series, with no direct counterpart in the “Invincible” comics.
In Season 4, Episode 4, “Hurm,” Damien Darkblood summons Invincible to Hell — also known as the Under-Realm — to help him and Satan defeat a new power rising in the bowels of the Earth. Their mission centers on reclaiming an ancient artifact that restores Satan to his former power and stature, transforming him from the frail figure seen earlier into a massive, towering monster.
Campbell’s casting immediately starts to make more sense after that transformation. Where Damien Darkblood and other demon characters on the series tend to speak with a more antiquated cadence, Satan transitions into a high-energy presence that embraces some of the personality from Campbell’s Ash Williams persona and similar roles from throughout his career. It’s a fun twist, as Campbell is now the one on the Hell side of things — though in the world of “Invincible,” that doesn’t necessarily make him a villain (at least not exactly).