‘A Minecraft Movie'—The Chicken Jockey Meme, Explained

Forbes

09-04-2025

'A Minecraft Movie,' starring Jack Black, inspired many memes
A Minecraft Movie has struck gold at the box office, and attracted cheering crowds reacting wildly to the film, thanks to a TikTok meme.
During showings of the film, crowds of Minecraft fans—mostly teens—are joining in with every Minecraft-related phrase that Jack Black shouts out, especially 'Chicken Jockey.'
The film adaptation of the incredibly popular video game, A Minecraft Movie fell flat with critics with 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, but has been met with hysterical audience reactions thanks to memes that spread online before the film's release.
Like showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Room, fans are participating and interacting with the film as though they are attending a rock concert, with some instances of disruptive behavior.
The scene that sparked this viral trend sees Jack Black and Jason Momoa trapped in a boxing ring, with Momoa facing an adorable baby zombie riding a chicken, a rare enemy that can be found in the game.
'A Minecraft Movie' Chicken Jockey
Steve yells 'Chicken Jockey,' and the theatre crowd reacts, yelling along, and sometimes, even throwing popcorn.
There are videos of packed theatres celebrating the trend all over the internet, but what first inspired the meme?
In the film, Black plays 'Steve,' the closest thing that Minecraft has to a protagonist, but the character doesn't have a real personality in the video game—he's more like a mascot, a default skin.
When the first trailer for A Minecraft Movie was released, fans were surprised to see Black in the role, and the trailer was mocked online.
Black delivers his lines with the hyper-enthusiast delivery he's known for, which proved to be prime meme material. Despite the initial reaction, few Minecraft fans planned to skip the film.
First released in 2009, Minecraft is old enough to be nostalgic for millennials, but the game has never diminished in popularity—it's difficult to describe the depth of influence that Minecraft has had on the pop culture of Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
On YouTube alone, there are genres within genres of Minecraft videos, with boundless narrative possibilities; A Minecraft Movie was bound to attract a gargantuan audience, no matter what.
According to KnowYourMeme, video edits of Chicken Jockey and other lines emerged in response to the film's trailers.
Clips of Jack Black and his dramatic delivery spread through the internet, resulting in Steve's lines being memorized and anticipated before the film's release.
As soon as A Minecraft Movie hit cinemas, fans were ready, shouting along with Black, 'Chicken Jockey,' 'Flint and Steel,' and 'I… am Steve.'
Mr. Beast even joined in the meme on TikTok, entering a movie theatre accompanied by an army of Minecraft fans dressed as Steve, ready to shout the memes in unison.
Amusingly, many of the events and characters of A Minecraft Movie have nothing whatsoever to do with the game, making Black's Steve and his constant, enthusiastic references to Minecraft stand out, evidence that A Minecraft Movie really is a Minecraft movie.
Frankly, it's difficult to understand if the celebration is ironic or earnest—the meme seems to walk a wobbly line between both.