The Real Reason The Ender Dragon Wasn't In The Minecraft Movie
"A Minecraft Movie" has done a stellar job at the box office and, regrettably, enticed fans enough for them to trash movie theaters during one specific scene. However, one aspect of the film that may have surprised viewers is its villain game. The movie's choice to focus on piglins and the original character Malgosha as the main antagonists is a decision that has likely raised more than a few eyebrows, especially by fans who were expecting to see the Ender Dragon as the film's big bad.
The closest thing to a final boss in a game that doesn't have a conventional narrative, the Ender Dragon might've made sense as the movie's ultimate antagonist, especially since initial reports of a live-action "Minecraft" movie teased a spring 2022 release (along with an appearance by the dragon as the film's villain). Then again, at that point the main protagonist was supposed to be a teenage girl, so, clearly, a lot changed after that.
The decision to avoid unveiling the universe's biggest villain right away makes sense for a movie that, let's face it, is eyeing the opportunity to launch a franchise. At the end of the day, however, the reason behind the Ender Dragon getting sidelined in favor of piglins was fairly simple: "A Minecraft Movie" director Jared Hess simply preferred the piglins.
Director Jared Hess was drawn to the Piglins as antagonists
For director Jared Hess, the piglins were simply the most interesting available choice when it came to the antagonists of "A Minecraft Movie." During a press event for the film (via ESPN), the director described his fascination with the hog mob:
"Like the creepers, the piglins are so iconic. The Ender Dragon may have been an obvious choice, but I just love me some piglin barbarians that dabble in cannibalism and are obsessed with gold. They've got a lot of interesting traits that make for good villains, and they just live in such a cool spot — the Nether is pretty, pretty dope."
Hess put his money where his mouth is when it comes to his piglin appreciation, too. Apart from giving the piglins plenty of focus as villains, he even personally voices Malgosha's key henchman, General Chungus.
Of course, the fact that piglins rule the villain game in this particular film doesn't necessarily mean that the Ender Dragon will never get its chance to shine as a major big screen baddie. While the guardian of the End biome doesn't make an appearance in the film, more may be on the way. The post-credits scene of "A Minecraft Movie" introduces notable "Minecraft" figure Alex (voiced by Kate McKinnon), which — along with the box office success "A Minecraft Movie" has enjoyed — virtually guarantees that a sequel is on its way sooner rather than later. Since the piglins and their native Nether have already been explored, who knows? The inevitable sequel may very well choose to make the stakes a lot more ... draconian.
"A Minecraft Movie" is currently playing in theaters.