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Who would’ve thought the pixelated boy from your favorite sandbox game would become a movie star? But hey, it’s 2025, and A Minecraft Movie is officially a thing. Even more bonkers? Jack Black is playing Steve. Yes, that Steve, the silent, blocky builder who punches trees with his bare hands. But the plot twist is that the actor almost didn’t get the part!
The role of Steve nearly went to another Hollywood favorite (we’ll get to that tea later), but thankfully, destiny, or casting directors, said, “Let’s give this square hero some serious chaotic energy.” Jack Black’s casting is pure genius. He has got the comedic chops, the voice, and that lovable weirdness to turn Steve from a silent avatar into a full-blown action-comedy icon. Whether he’s battling Creepers or crafting diamond swords with flair, Black’s version of Steve might just be the most fun block in the box.
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Plot twist alert: Steve almost had a very different voice, one dipped in honey and sarcastic. According to Puck’s “What I’m Hearing” newsletter by Matthew Belloni (via The Gamer), the OG pick for the lead role in A Minecraft Movie wasn’t Jack Black. Nope. It was Matt Berry, the deadpan delight best known as Laszlo Cravensworth in What We Do in the Shadows. Just picture Steve fighting zombies while ranting like a Victorian vampire. Comedy gold.
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But alas, Berry had to bow out of the blocky spotlight. Thanks to post-strike scheduling madness, he was busy wrapping up Shadows’ sixth and final season and couldn’t commit to the lead role. Still, the Minecraft gods blessed us with a small but unforgettable cameo: Berry pops up in the mid-credits scene as Nitwit, a jobless Villager who, brace yourself, is dating Jennifer Coolidge. And after a lifetime of “Hrrmmmmm,” Nitwit finally speaks, with Berry’s gloriously posh voice.
It’s a brilliant moment that plays on Minecraft’s iconic villager grunts. It turns into a running gag that lands perfectly when Berry opens his mouth and breaks the illusion with that eloquent baritone. The comedic whiplash is real. Even in a few seconds, Berry proves he could’ve crushed the lead role.
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Sure, we’re thrilled Jack Black is swinging pickaxes and belting high notes, but now we can’t help but wonder: What could’ve been if Matt Berry mined his way into our hearts as the square-jawed hero? One thing’s for sure: Nitwit might not build anything, but Matt Berry sure built a scene-stealing moment.
Jack Black just mined box-office gold, again. Thanks to A Minecraft Movie, the rock ‘n’ roll panda has officially cracked over $5 billion across all his leading roles. That’s not just a flex, it’s a full-on diamond pickaxe power move. Despite the trailer getting roasted online (some even called it a cursed fever dream), fans flocked to theaters, turning up with popcorn chaos and viral cheers that would make a creeper blush.
The movie exploded with a $162.7 million domestic opening and hasn’t slowed since. It’s now the second-highest-grossing video game adaptation ever, right behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which also stars Jack Black as Bowser. The guy is now the undisputed king of live-action and animated video game movies. Steve and Bowser? A double whammy for the box office.
And with Mortal Kombat 2 and Until Dawn dropping soon, the gaming-to-movie train isn’t stopping, but Jack Black’s already at the top, smashing records like they’re pixelated melons.
For more such updates, check out Hollywood News
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