Jack Black Opens Up About the Role He Regrets Saying No To Most

Jack Black recently looked back on his storied career and admitted that one of his most significant missed opportunities was a role he intentionally walked away from. The comedic powerhouse revealed that he was once in the running to voice the iconic villain Syndrome in Pixar’s 2004 masterpiece The Incredibles.

Years after the fact, Black shared that his refusal to take the part wasn’t just a simple scheduling conflict but a result of his own skepticism at the time. I was like, “Uhhh, Brad Bird? Never heard of him!” he recalled during a recent interview with Capital FM.

He didn’t just question the director; he questioned the script itself, telling Bird he felt the antagonist lacked depth. This character that you’re offering me is like a villain, but he’s kinda one-dimensional, Black said he told the director.

Black went a step further by asking for the character to be rewritten to add more dimensions, a move that quickly ended his involvement in the project. And he was like, “Yeah, you’re done,” Black remembered, noting that he was essentially shown the door immediately.

The role eventually went to Jason Lee, whose performance helped cement Syndrome as one of the most memorable villains in animation history. Black watched the film’s massive success from the sidelines, seeing it sweep the awards circuit and win two Oscars.

I learned a valuable lesson because when that movie came out, it was one of the best movies ever made, the actor confessed. He later wondered aloud, Why was I being so difficult? as he realized he had passed on what became one of his own favorite films.

The revelation came while Black was promoting his most recent box office success, the meta-reboot of Anaconda. Released on Christmas Day, the film stars Black alongside Paul Rudd as two childhood friends attempting to remake the 1997 cult classic in the Amazon.

Anaconda has been a financial win for Sony, grossing over $128 million worldwide by early 2026 despite mixed critical reviews. The movie also features Thandiwe Newton and Steve Zahn, blending high-stakes survival horror with the signature comedic chemistry of its leads.

Aside from his recent jungle adventure, Black is currently working on the untitled sequel to Jumanji: The Next Level. He is also set to reprise his role as the formidable Bowser in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which is scheduled to hit theaters on April 1.

While he still feels a sense of wistfulness regarding The Incredibles, his subsequent success with the Kung Fu Panda franchise and the Super Mario films has clearly filled the void. His career serves as a testament to the fact that even the biggest stars can learn from their early mistakes.

Share your thoughts on whether you think Jack Black would have made a better Syndrome than Jason Lee in the comments.