Beloved loudster Jack Black has all but officially confirmed that he’s taking on the role of Steve in the upcoming Minecraft movie.
The pseudo-announcement of the casting, which was first rumored in January, came by way of an Instagram post (via GameSpot) which opens with Black signing a paean to a double rainbow—although I’m pretty sure that’s not actually a double rainbow. Maybe there’s some hidden meaning there?
Whatever the case, any pretense of subtlety goes out the window almost immediately. There’s no overlooking the sign bearing the word “Steve” and the Minecraft logo hanging on the door to Black’s trailer, and inside are several pictures of Steve hanging over the windows.
“Oh my god, what does it mean?” Black sings, echoing the words of Paul Vasquez, who found online celebrity as “Double Rainbow Guy” in 2010. “It’s so bright, so perfect.” He then flips the camera around to give us a quick, surely-meaningful grin, before cutting.
That pretty much nails it, then: Jack Black is Steve, which will be his third role in a major videogame movie, following turns as Bowser in 2023’s Super Mario Bros Movie, and Claptrap in the Borderlands film that’s set to debut in August.
I’m a little torn on the casting. Claptrap and Bowser seem spot-on for the famous Jack Black blend of funny, irritating, and relentless exuberance that can go either way at the drop of a hat. But Steve? He’s just a guy. Even the name “Steve” was meant as a joking generic placeholder, because that’s what the character is: An empty, default skin.
That’s not to say it can’t work, especially given the other cast members Black has to riff off if—Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, and Danielle Brooks are also in the film—but it might be a somewhat more high-strung take on the character than we expected when we thought Pedro Pascal was getting the job.
Here’s a clip of Black sharing some advice on helping your kids improve their reading, which is pretty awesome indeed—but bear in mind, this is restrained Jack Black:
Here’s an awesome tip for helping children with their reading. Did you know that putting subtitles/captions on kids’ shows massively improves their levels of literacy? Here’s a little video of me explaining it. Feel free to share with your friends. #turnonthesubtitles pic.twitter.com/xh97QjuTE5March 20, 2024
Black’s casting will hopefully also signal that the Minecraft movie is actually on the way to being made. A live-action Minecraft film was first announced in early 2014 and at one point was supposed to be out in 2019, but multiple roadblocks ranging from scheduling conflicts to the Covid-19 pandemic have pushed it further and further back. It’s currently expected to hit the big screens in April 2025.
