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What's The 'Chicken Jockey' Meme From The 'Minecraft' Movie? Jack Black As Steve And His Famous, Weird Quote Explained
In the most recent trailer for the upcoming A Minecraft Movie, Jack Black as Steve says, "Chicken jockey," when a baby zombie riding a chicken drops into a boxing ring. The scene has led to a lot of memes for some reason.
The live-action Minecraft movie has become a viral subject ever since it was officially announced many years ago. Much of the discourse has centered on the growing fear among fans that the film might be a bust. The trailers have been the source of this anxiety because of previewed scenes like "Chicken Jockey."
But why are fans focusing on "Chicken Jockey" specifically? What do the "Chicken Jockey" memes mean and where did they come from? Let's explain.
Where Did The 'Chicken Jockey' Meme Come From?
Last month, the final trailer for A Minecraft Movie was released online. Towards the end, Steve (Jack Black) and the other characters are in a boxing ring. Jason Momoa's character watches as a "chicken jockey" drops from a box.
In Minecraft, a "chicken jockey" is a type of mob that's a baby zombie riding a chicken. They're rather fast and can be dangerous, especially if a player has never encountered one.
When the chicken jockey drops from the box, Steve says, "Chicken jockey," announcing the mob's arrival.
The "Chicken Jockey" clip became a meme shortly after, when the film-centric Twitter / X account @DiscussingFilm tweeted a "first look" at the creature.
An X user named @crazyrabbitreal shared the first known meme soon after. It was a video that played the clip multiple times, speeding it up on each repeat. The format is similar to a series of sped-up Captain Underpants edits that predate the trailer.
— Avery!! #1 Glam Chica Fan (@crazyrabbitreal) February 28, 2025
Why Is 'Chicken Jockey' A Meme?
People are posting memes and finding humor in the "Chicken Jockey" clip because it seems to be a leading example of instances in the Minecraft movie when Steve says something from the game verbatim.
One X user named @theenderestman posted a viral tweet soon after the film's final trailer, compiling all of the "verbatim" instances that had been previewed thus far.
the minecraft movie trailers but only when jack black says something from the game verbatim pic.twitter.com/JmEWpTMLZu
— Ender ✧ (comms closed) (@theenderestman) March 2, 2025
So, what do people think of this? How are people reacting to and interpreting all of the "verbatim" moments in the upcoming film?
Some believe that they're indicative of bad writing. "His entire character is exposition, isn't it," said one worried X user in the replies of @theenderestman's tweet.
There are so many instances of the phenomenon from the trailers alone that people have started to rank them online. "Chicken Jockey" is usually high on the list, but others like "I Am Steve" definitely compete.
@brainrot.clipz69 BIGGEST MINECRAFT MOVIE QUOTES AND MOMENTS RANKING, TOP 34 #funny #relatable #minecraft #minecraftmovie #foryoupage #foryou #fyp #edit #gaming #gamers #blowup #trending #viral ♬ original sound – nonchalant dreadhead
What Are Some Other 'Minecraft Movie' Memes?
It seems like a lot of people want this movie to be good. Minecraft the game spans three generations of Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Each has an invested interest in the franchise and its representation on the big screen.
So when the first trailer was released, there was a whole lot of hoopla online. Many people criticized the CGI, centering on animals like the sheep and llama, which looked odd to some.
However, others find the film endearing so far. The covert "The Children Yearn for the Mines" reference in the first trailer seemed to win some people over.
There's a chance that the film will be funny for both children and adults alike by keeping the slapstick humor for the kids and the "easter egg" meme references for the parents and gamers in the room.
Get ready to craft your world. #MinecraftMovie – only in theaters 2025. pic.twitter.com/y1CeVagJJ6
— Minecraft (@Minecraft) November 19, 2024
One of the only things that people are skeptical about is actor Jack Black. He could really make or break the film, according to some.
He has a distinct screen presence that's best parodied in the "I Am Placing Blocks" song, which imagines Black's character in Tenacious D singing for the Minecraft movie score.
Anyway, the film releases on April 4th, and the buzz surrounding it, at least in memes, has been quite substantial. It has the potential to fuel countless trends through the end of the year — a likelihood that will probably be unrelated to the movie's box office score.
i WILL be watching https://t.co/EHBqUiuA4K pic.twitter.com/lGSuno9cWR
— Noah (R__K) ⚓️💥 (@RainingKetchup) March 4, 2024
For the full history of Chicken Jockey, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.
