Jack Black Reflects on His Regret Over Turning Down a Role in The Incredibles

Jack Black is making waves in the film world lately, starring in everything from the not-so-great Minecraft movie to beloved classics like School of Rock. However, he could have added another iconic role to his resume: the villain Syndrome in The Incredibles. Unfortunately, he missed out on that opportunity because he requested a rewrite and, as he put it, was “difficult.”

In a recent chat while promoting his latest project alongside Paul Rudd, Black reflected on roles he wishes he had accepted. He revealed that Pixar had offered him the part of Syndrome, the antagonist in their 2004 superhero hit, The Incredibles. But Black, feeling uncertain, asked for significant changes to the character before he would commit.

“I was offered—and I do regret saying no—I was offered Syndrome in that fantastic movie The Incredibles, one of my favorites of all time, by the way,” Black shared. “And I said no because I was like, ‘Uh, Brad Bird? Never heard of him. This character you’re offering me is a villain, but he’s kind of one-dimensional. I’m interested, but I’d like to see a rewrite. Will you add some dimensions to this character?’ And he was like, ‘You’re done, get out of here.’”

Black noted that he “learned a valuable lesson” from that experience, especially as the film went on to achieve massive success and critical acclaim. “And I was like, ‘Why was I being so difficult?’” he admitted. The role ultimately went to Jason Lee, who delivered a memorable performance as the former fan turned crazed supervillain.

It seems Black has taken that lesson to heart, as he’s now appearing in a variety of projects. Perhaps he should have considered asking for some tweaks before taking on the role of Steve in the Minecraft movie. But given its box office success, it seems everything turned out just fine for him in the end.