The first trailer for A Minecraft Movie dropped, and honestly, the internet collectively lost its mind. Not necessarily in a good way, either. People were confused. They were scared of the sheep. They were baffled by Jack Black’s blue shirt. It was a whole thing. But now that the dust has settled and we've seen more footage, it’s time to actually look at who these people are. The characters from the Minecraft Movie aren't just random avatars; they are a mix of brand-new faces and the most iconic legends in the history of blocks.
We aren't looking at a simple 1:1 recreation of the game. Warner Bros. and director Jared Hess went for something... different. It’s live-action mixed with high-fidelity CGI that looks like it was rendered in a version of Unreal Engine that’s had a fever dream. If you’re trying to figure out why Steve looks like he just walked out of a Jumanji set or who the "misfits" are, you're in the right place.
Steve: The Legend in a Blue Tee
Let's start with the elephant in the room. Or rather, the guy in the teal shirt. Jack Black is playing Steve.
When we first see him, he doesn't have a square head. He has a beard. He has a slightly dirty shirt. He screams, "I... am Steve!" and everyone in the trailer looks at him like he’s a lunatic. That’s because, in this story, Steve is an expert builder who has been stuck in the Overworld for a very long time. He isn't a fresh spawn. He’s a guy who has mastered the physics of a world where gravity is optional for everything except sand and gravel.
There was a lot of debate online about the costume. Why is it just a plain blue shirt? Well, that’s the point. Steve is the ultimate blank slate. In the game, he’s who we are. In the movie, he’s the mentor. He’s the one showing the "newbies" how to survive a night when the Creepers start hiss-popping. Jack Black brings that high-energy, slightly chaotic energy that actually fits the vibe of someone who has spent years talking to wolves and punching trees.
The Four Misfits: Garrett, Henry, Natalie, and Guy
The movie follows four humans who get pulled through a portal into the Overworld. This is a classic "portal fantasy" trope, similar to Jumanji or The Wizard of Oz. They aren't blocky. They are real people in a world that looks like a hyper-realistic texture pack.
✨ Don't miss: Why the Hello Kitty Island Adventure Meme Refuses to Die
Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison is played by Jason Momoa.
He’s wearing a pink leather jacket and a blonde wig that has launched a thousand memes. Garrett is a former world-champion gamer, but his skills are outdated. He’s stuck in the past, and being thrust into a world where his "gaming" knowledge actually matters is his entire character arc. He's loud, he’s flamboyant, and he’s clearly the comic relief who eventually has to find his "inner crafter."
Then you have Natalie, played by Emma Myers (who you probably recognize from Wednesday).
She seems to be the practical one, or at least the one most likely to notice that the physics of this world make zero sense.
Henry, played by Sebastian Eugene Hansen, and Guy, played by Danielle Brooks, round out the group.
Guy, in particular, seems to be the voice of the audience—constantly reacting to the sheer absurdity of the square sun and the terrifyingly "realistic" mobs.
These four represent the different ways players interact with Minecraft. Some of us are technical. Some of us are just here for the vibes. Some of us, like Garrett, are probably trying to "pro-gamer" our way through a situation that requires actual creativity.
The Mobs: Why Do They Look Like That?
We have to talk about the creatures. The characters from the Minecraft Movie aren't just the humans; the mobs are characters in their own right. The design choice here was "ugly-cute."
🔗 Read more: Why the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Boss Fights Feel So Different
- The Pink Sheep: This was the first thing people saw. It has big, bulging eyes and a mouth that moves in a way that feels slightly "uncanny valley." It’s meant to be jarring. The Overworld is supposed to look alien to these humans.
- The Llamas: They have that same wide-eyed, vacant stare that every Minecraft player recognizes right before they get spat on.
- The Piglins: These are the primary antagonists. Led by a Piglin General, they are invading the Overworld from the Nether. Unlike the animals, the Piglins look genuinely threatening. They have armor, they have massive armies, and they bring a sense of stakes to what could otherwise be a very silly movie.
- Creepers: Yes, they’re here. They look like they are made of moss and peat. They don't look like plastic toys; they look like something that would actually grow in a dark forest and then ruin your entire afternoon.
The Problem of Adaptation
Why didn't they just make it animated? Like The LEGO Movie?
That’s the question everyone is asking. Jared Hess and the team at Mojang decided that a live-action blend would emphasize the "fish out of water" feeling. If the humans were animated, they’d fit in. By making them live-action, they remain permanent outsiders in a world made of blocks.
It’s a risky move. Movies like Sonic the Hedgehog had to redesign their lead character because the "realism" went too far. A Minecraft Movie is leaning into that weirdness. It’s embracing the fact that a sheep made of cubes would look terrifying if it had real wool and wet eyeballs.
The Villains: The Piglin Invasion
The plot isn't just about building a house. It’s about the Nether. The Piglins are tired of the heat and they want the green grass of the Overworld. This draws heavily from Minecraft Legends, the spin-off game that focused on the Piglin wars.
This gives the characters a clear goal. Steve isn't just a hermit; he’s a protector. The four misfits aren't just tourists; they are the "chosen ones" (a bit cliché, sure) who have to help Steve craft a way to send the Piglins back to the lava pits.
💡 You might also like: Hollywood Casino Bangor: Why This Maine Gaming Hub is Changing
What This Means for Minecraft Fans
If you've played the game for fifteen years, you might feel a bit of protective saltiness. That's normal.
But look at the details. The crafting table works the way it should. The blue sparks of the portal look right. The bucket of lava is there. The characters from the Minecraft Movie are clearly designed to appeal to kids who grew up with the game, but also to provide a "spectacle" for parents who have no idea what a Redstone circuit is.
There is a deep history here. Steve isn't just a name; he represents the legacy of the game. Putting Jack Black in that role is a signal that the movie isn't taking itself too seriously. It knows it’s a movie about a world made of dirt squares.
Real-World Context and Production
This movie has been in "development hell" since roughly 2014. At one point, Rob McElhenney (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) was attached to direct. Then it was Shawn Levy. The fact that it exists at all is a miracle of production persistence.
The current version, filmed in New Zealand, uses massive practical sets combined with blue-screen technology. This is why the lighting on the actors looks "real" even when they are standing next to a CGI llama. They were actually standing in dirt, under lights meant to mimic a blocky sun.
Actionable Takeaways for the Hype Cycle
- Watch the "Minecraft Legends" lore: If you want to know more about why the Piglins are attacking, that game holds the clues. The movie is clearly pulling from that specific part of the franchise's mythology.
- Don't expect a "Lore" movie: This isn't an origin story for Herobrine (at least, not that we know of). It’s an adventure comedy. Adjusting your expectations now will make the experience much better.
- Look at the background: The trailers are packed with "Easter eggs." From the way the trees are structured to the specific items Steve carries, the production designers clearly played the game.
- Wait for the second trailer: Historically, "first look" trailers for CGI-heavy movies are meant to stir up talk (and memes). The second trailer usually shows more of the actual heart of the story.
The characters from the Minecraft Movie are a bridge between our world and the digital one. Whether they successfully cross that bridge or fall into the lava remains to be seen, but they certainly aren't going to be boring. You might hate the pink sheep today, but by the time the credits roll, it’ll probably be the favorite character of every seven-year-old on the planet.
To get ready for the release, the best thing you can do is jump back into a survival world. Try to build something without using a tutorial. That sense of "I have no idea what I'm doing but I'm doing it anyway" is exactly the energy this movie is trying to capture. That's the core of the Minecraft experience, and it seems to be the core of these characters, too. Look for the small details in the armor trims and the tool designs—they tell more of the story than the dialogue ever will.