A MINECRAFT MOVIE Originally Cast WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS Actor Matt Berry as Steve
It turns out Jack Black wasn’t the first pick to play Steve in A Minecraft Movie. That honor originally belonged to What We Do in the Shadows star Matt Berry. That was the plan… until it wasn’t.
According to Puck, Berry was lined up to take the lead but had to step away due to scheduling conflicts that cropped up post-Hollywood strikes. He was locked into filming the final season of FX’s vampire comedy from winter 2023 through spring 2024, which completely overlapped with A Minecraft Movie’s shoot that kicked off in January 2024.
Given the way the movie’s exploded, scoring the biggest opening weekend of any video game adaptation ever, it’s easy to wonder what Berry’s version of Steve could have looked like. But, after having seen the movie, it seems like Jack Black was meant to star in the film. He brings an explosive energy to it that no other actor could bring.
It would’ve been a very different movie with Berry in the role of Steve. But fans of both Berry and Minecraft will be happy to know he does show up in the movie... sort of. it’s one of the movie’s most clever Easter eggs.
Black opened up about the character Steve and how wide open he is: "Steve's a blank slate. I feel like it could have been almost any actor. I loved that I got to play him and put my stamp on it."
Directed by Napoleon Dynamite’s Jared Hess, the film also features Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, Sebastian Hansen, and Jennifer Coolidge.
What do you think about Matt Berry originally being cast as Steve? Would you have liked to see his take on the character?