Invincibility Mode

How Steven Yeun became Invincible

A closer look at the Oscar-nominated actor’s journey, from The Walking Dead through Amazon’s new superhero series, and beyond.

by Josh Wigler
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
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From scoring his very first Oscar nomination for Minari and becoming the all-powerful leading man on Amazon’s action-packed Invincible, Steven Yeun has reached his superhero moment.

AMC

Yeun’s meteoric rise should come as no surprise to anyone who watched The Walking Dead, where Yeun starred for six seasons as Glenn Rhee.

AMC

A pizza delivery driver turned zombie apocalypse veteran, Glenn was the heart of the Rick Grimes gang for six full seasons …

AMC

...until he wasn’t.

AMC

Yeun’s grim departure from Walking Dead was predicted by the comic books on which the show is based, but that didn’t make his onscreen death as Glenn any easier to stomach.

Netflix

Following Glenn’s demise, Walking Dead ratings dipped, all while Yeun’s reputation continued to rise due to his interesting career choices, such as starring in Bong Joon-ho’s Okja.

A24

In 2020, Yeun starred in director Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari, a widely celebrated turn that netted Yeun his first Oscar nomination. He is the first Asian-American actor to receive an Academy Award nomination for best actor.

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As Yeun gained award-worthy attention, he simultaneously returned to his pop-culture roots with a huge new superhero project from Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman...

Amazon

...Invincible, an hourlong animated superhero drama streaming March 26 on Amazon Prime.

Amazon

Invincible sees Yeun starring as Mark Grayson, the teenage son of the world’s most powerful superhero, who comes to possess powers of his own.

Yeun’s superhero debut is a coming-of-age tale, with a lot of aliens and buckets of blood to boot.

Amazon

What’s next for Yeun, beyond several more seasons as Invincible and a long career of prestigious award-worthy roles?

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If Minari and especially Invincible tell us anything, for Yeun, the sky is the limit — if not higher.