Invincible Season 4 Features A Major Star Trek: The Next Generation Actor In An Unexpected Role
by Rafael Motamayor · /Film"Invincible" has one of the most impressive voice casts you'll find in a modern animated series (and one that avoids the common pitfall of celebrity stunt casting, no less). The show employs everyone from veteran voice actors who disappear into their roles (like John DiMaggio and Grey Griffin) to A-listers with easily recognizable vocals, making it a bit of a "Guess that voice!" game.
Now, season 4 has introduced even more characters voiced by well-established actors, including Lee Pace as Thragg and Zoey Deutch as Tech Jacket. But also of note is the voice of the AI suit that gives Tech Jacket her abilities, which is provided by someone quite familiar with extra-terrestrial tech and space adventuring. You see, none other than "Star Trek: The Next Generation" icon LeVar Burton lends his voice to that role in episode 5, "Give Us a Moment."
Burton, of course, is known to sci-fi fans for portraying Geordi LaForge, the USS Enterprise Chief Engineer with the cool yet uncomfortable visor in "The Next Generation." LaForge is quite familiar with space tech, which means Burton ends up delivering lots of complex technobabble in that show. This is, in turn, what makes Burton's casting in "Invincible" so clever. If you're going to bring someone from the "Star Trek" universe in to voice the AI for a super advanced suit, who better than the man behind LaForge?
Still, as much as this casting makes sense, it's somewhat surprising to see (or, more accurately, hear) Burton playing such an "invisible" role. After all, Tech Jacket's AI suit barely speaks and isn't strictly a corporeal character. But what's even more unexpected is that Burton doesn't portray one of the "Next Generation" parody characters featured in season 4 instead.
LeVar Burton's casting isn't Invincible season 4's only nod to Star Trek
"Invincible" season 4, episode 2, "I'll Give You the Grand Tour," introduces what are clearly parodies of the main characters on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in the form of the crew of another spaceship, The Venture. When the first appear, the show even throws in a musical cue heavily echoing Alexander Courage's classic "Star Trek" theme. What's more, The Venture's captain is an undeniably Picard-like bald man with a Federation-coded red and black uniform — one whose co-workers include a big, angry man named Warp (who's very much modeled after Michael Dorn's Worf from "Next Generation") and a science expert named Download (a cheeky knock-off of Brent Spiner's Data).
Rather than a bunch of noble explorers and scientists who respect and admire each other, those serving on The Venture seem to outright hate their peers. Meanwhile, the ship itself is a far cry from the Enterprise, as it's literally falling apart by the second. Again, though, this makes it all the more amusing that LeVar Burton voices Tech Jacket's suit AI rather than a member of The Venture's crew. His casting inherently counts as a nod to the "Star Trek" franchise, so why not go all the way?
The show tips its hat to "The Next Generation" in other ways, too. Let's not forget that Dorn voices the alien warrior Battle Beast, making him yet another high-profile member of the series' voice cast. As for which "Next Generation" actor could join the show next? My money is on Spiner, who's already done his fair share of voice acting.
"Invincible" is now streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes dropping on Wednesdays.