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Minecraft fans have been left devastated after discovering who the original casting for Jack Black’s role was.
With the release of the Minecraft Movie last week (April 4), viewers have been sharing their reactions to the gaming film.
The movie follows four misfits who are pulled into a mysterious portal that leads them to the Overworld.
To get home, they must embark on a magical quest with an expected crafter named Steve, who is played by Jack Black.
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Other stars in the film include Jason Momoa, Danielle Brooks and Jennifer Coolidge.
However, fans of the video game are now feeling ‘robbed’ after finding out who else was also up for the role of Steve.
People at the cinema going crazy over the “Chicken Jockey” scene 💀 pic.twitter.com/oiBVx0Pc9D
— ً (@tylerduran21) April 6, 2025
According to Puck, British actor Matt Berry, who is known for his roles in What We Do in the Shadows and Toast of London, was originally a front runner for starring as Steve.
However, he reportedly had to drop out after experiencing scheduling conflicts due to the 2023 actors’ strike in Hollywood.
Instead, Berry had a small role in the film, playing a villager in a post-credits scene.
And now fans aren’t happy, with many complaining that a particularly viral line would have been delivered hilariously by Berry.
The popular Minecraft phrase ‘chicken jockey’ has become a huge meme on social media, with police even being called to a local cinema as fans go crazy when the line is read out in the movie.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, fans shared their thoughts on Berry missing out on the role.
One user wrote: “Laughing really hard imagining Matt Berry saying ‘chicken jockey’ so maybe it would’ve been a good movie if this happened.”
Another said: “Hearing ‘chicken jockey’ come out of matt berry’s mouth would’ve absolutely grilled me HELLO???”
A third person commented: “‘As a child I yearned for the mines’ is a very Matt Berry line.”
A fourth wrote: “This would’ve been a completely different movie and probably drastically better.”
And a fifth added: “This movie would have been 20x better if Matt Berry played Steve.”
When Black’s character shouts ‘chicken jockey’, audiences have been going wild, with footage showing audience members jumping up, clapping, and throwing popcorn into the air.
One viewer even reportedly brought a live chicken into a screening.
As a result of the viral moment, Cineworld has announced ‘chicken jockey screenings’ to be held on April 13.
During these screenings, the cinema ‘encourages fans to dress up, whoop, yelp and clap their way through this block-busting adventure’.
