The aliens are gone. At least, that’s the setup of Invasion’s third season, which opens with the destruction of the aliens’ interdimensional mothership, presumably putting an end to the brutal attack they’ve carried out against Earth for the last two seasons. But of course, it wouldn’t be Invasion without, well, an invasion. So after a quick two-year time jump, the extraterrestrial antagonists return, prompting the Apple TV Plus show’s far-flung ensemble of interconnected heroes to finally unite for one last mission to save the world.
And that’s all in season 3’s first few episodes.
“This season forces the characters to work together,” series co-creator Simon Kinberg tells Polygon. “If they can’t, they’ll fail. And if they fail, humanity might fail with them.”
The new season of Invasion raises the stakes of Apple’s globe-trotting sci-fi show, introducing new “apex” aliens and exploring the state of the world in the aftermath of one apocalyptic event — and at the start of another.
Ahead of the show’s premiere, Polygon caught up with Simon Kinberg (best known for his work as a writer, director, and producer in the X-Men and Star Wars franchises) to discuss how season 3 came together, the surprising real-life animals that inspired his new alien designs, and why Apple’s global approach to production helps boost sci-fi television.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Polygon: Invasion seasons 1 and 2 felt like one big story that ended with humanity stopping the alien invasion. Season 3 feels more like a new story. Was that always the plan, or did the idea for season 3 come to you later on?
Simon Kinberg: From the beginning, I envisioned parallel stories all over the world with completely different characters, eventually converging into a single storyline. At first, I thought that might happen in season 2, but there was enough story and emotional material to keep them separate. So season 2 has some overlap, but mostly they remain on their own tracks.
The idea of smashing [the various subplots] together was always part of the show’s architecture. I wasn’t sure exactly how until the end of last season. Pretty quickly, I thought that if we could create a season that felt like a mission — something simple, like Saving Private Ryan — it would give us drive and propulsion, but also allow space for character development. I didn’t want it to suddenly become just an action chase show.
I really enjoyed those first few episodes of season 3, before the aliens return, which show what the world looks like a year after the initial invasion was stopped. It reminded me of post-COVID life and returning to normality. Was that intentional?
Definitely. I wanted to see what the characters’ lives looked like in a period of normalcy, because I knew I wouldn’t get another chance to show that post-invasion reality. I also wanted a time cut so we weren’t just picking up right where we left off.
And yes, I was very aware of COVID. It was the closest thing to a global invasion we’ve ever experienced. It hit everywhere, across borders and ethnicities, and then we went back to our lives — having kids, getting married, going out. But there were remnants. That’s what interested me: how society and individuals build a life again, but with threads of a changed world still visible.
There’s also this element of militias, conspiracies, and wounded psyches. It feels like it’s about how such a far-ranging event can affect our mental health.
For sure. And beyond COVID, technology has also changed us. We’re more connected than ever, but less emotionally connected. The show has always been about survival through connection, about people relying on each other. That’s harder now in real life. Truly trusting another person is more difficult than ever.
The world has evolved quickly in the years I’ve been working on this show, and I wanted to reflect that.
This season also introduces “apex” aliens. How did you go about leveling up the alien design?
I always imagined we’d evolve to some version of an apex alien — a sentient species behind the invasion, beyond the hunters we’d seen before. I wanted them to be scary predators, but also beautiful, ethereal, almost mesmerizing. I wanted moments where you could even sympathize with them.
Designing them was a massive process. We went through hundreds of renderings and concepts — amoebas, jellyfish, insects, blowfish, sub-Saharan animals. It was one of the most involved design processes I’ve ever been a part of. Eric Henry, our VFX supervisor, spearheaded it brilliantly.
That’s fascinating. Can you talk more about what you borrowed from real animals?
One thing was movement. With CG characters, it’s not just about the design — it’s how they move. Watching underwater life, we noticed a flowing quality that looks like it defies gravity. Our aliens’ faces and tendrils have that underwater feel.
Another element was translucency and light. I wanted them to feel like you could see through parts of them, with negative space. That makes them feel less like rubber suits and more like living creatures.
There’s also something in our brains — maybe evolutionary — that recognizes real physics and real organisms. If something reflects natural physics, even subtly, it feels more real. That’s what we aimed for.
When Invasion started, it was part of Apple TV Plus’s first wave of science fiction shows. As a sci-fi fan, it’s been cool to see how much Apple has invested in the genre. Do you think Apple is a particularly good home for science fiction? And if so, why?
From my experience, yes. I’m a huge fan of Foundation, Silo, and Severance. Apple gives you the budget you need to make these shows at scale, so they feel cinematic. Science fiction either needs to be high-concept, like Black Mirror or Severance, or big in scope. Apple supports that.
Also, Apple is such a global company. Billions of people have Apple products. They’re open to making the [production] process global. In our case, they let us shoot all over the world in season 1, even during COVID. They’re aware of audiences beyond the U.S., and sci-fi especially needs that global reach. Apple has always been a big-ideas company, and that DNA helps.
Invasion season 3 airs weekly on Friday on Apple TV Plus. Episode 1 is streaming now.