Jack Black regretted rejecting the role of Syndrome, an iconic villain from The Incredibles, admitting that he was "being so difficult" during the casting process. Pixar's 2004 generational movie introduced Syndrome (also known as Buddy Pine) as the main villain, who aspires to be a hero in his own twisted way, fueled by his lifelong bitterness over being rejected by Mr. Incredible when he was a child. Syndrome's grand plan in The Incredibles includes eliminating superheroes before staging a fake crisis to save the day. My Name Is Earl star Jason Lee brought the role to life, but Jack Black was initially offered the part before ultimately rejecting it due to an unexpected reason.
Speaking as a guest with Capital FM during the promotion of his new Anaconda movie, Jack Black confirmed that he was offered the role of Syndrome in The Incredibles, but he rejected it because he "never heard of" director Brad Bird and initially had complaints about the character being "kinda one dimensional."
"No, I'm gonna answer it, because I don't care. I was offered, and I do regret it, saying no... I was offered Syndrome in that fantastic movie The Incredibles — one of my favorites of all time, by the way. And I said no because I was like, "Uhhh, Brad Bird? Never heard of him! This character that you're offering me is like a villain, but he's kinda one-dimensional."
While the actor admitted that he was interested, Black pointed out that he told them that he would love to see a rewrite of the script. After rejecting the role, Black shared that he "learned a valuable lesson" when the movie came out, completely changing his perspective because The Incredibles went on to become one of the best movies in Pixar's lineup:
"I'm interested but I'd like to see a rewrite. Will you add some dimensions to this character?" And he was like, "Yeah, you're done." And I learned a valuable lesson because when that movie came out, it was one of the best movies ever made. I was like, "Why was I being so difficult?!"
Jack Black's honest assessment of his rejection of the main villain role in The Incredibles is understandable, considering that Syndrome is widely regarded as one of Pixar's iconic villains. While he has a tragic backstory, Syndrome transformed into a cold-blooded and deeply evil villain who doesn't hesitate to kill civilians and abandon allies without hesitation. By being a pure menace who initially started as an innocent kid, Syndrome ranks at the top of the Pixar villain rankings in terms of complexity and entertainment value.
Directed by Brad Bird, The Incredibles follows the story of a superhero family who attempt to live a quiet suburban life before being brought back into the spotlight due to the manipulations of the vengeful Syndrome. The movie stars Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Spencer Fox, Jason Lee, and Samuel L. Jackson. Pixar has already confirmed development of The Incredibles 3, but the release date remains unknown.
Will Jack Black Join The Incredibles 3?
At this stage, it is unknown how Jack Black would've performed as Syndrome in The Incredibles, considering that Jason Lee had a brilliant portrayal of the villain.
Black is known for being over the top and hilarious due to his comedic antics, and he would've incorporated his outrageous style into Syndrome, similar to his performance as Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. It could've amped up Syndrome's immature pettiness into a whole different level, making the villain more unhinged in a cartoonish way.
While his opportunity to play Syndrome already passed, the looming arrival of The Incredibles 3 could be the perfect avenue for Black to "redeem" himself by taking on a completely different role and becoming part of Pixar's superhero universe. Whether it's a villain or another superhero, Black would be a valuable addition to the franchise, adding more star power and his usual electrifying performance.
