A Minecraft Movie may not have quite lived up to every viewer’s expectations, but there are still aspects of this messy story to be enjoyed. The chemistry between Jack Black and Jason Mamoa is one of the biggest selling points, alongside the video game accuracy and some fun musical numbers. However, one area where long-time fans of Minecraft were left pretty disappointed was in the story’s villain, Malgosha. The character was created exclusively for this movie, but many fans were hoping to see one of Minecraft’s actual video game villains adapted for the screen.

There are several iconic villains in Minecraft, ranging from random creatures (known as “mobs”) to more permanent, recurring antagonists whom players are encouraged to fight whenever they start a new world. There are two of these “bosses” that long-time Minecraft fans will be aware of: the Ender Dragon and the Wither. The former is certainly the most recognizable, living in the alternate dimension of “The End” and serving as a final obstacle for new players to overcome before “beating” the game.

An Earlier Version Of A Minecraft Movie Would’ve Had The Ender Dragon As The Main Villain

The End Was Supposed To Play A Big Role In The Movie

In 2019, it was announced by the game’s developers at Mojang that a movie adaptation of Minecraft would be hitting theaters, but that original concept was very different from the finalized A Minecraft Movie that was actually released. One of the most noteworthy details about this initial plan was the inclusion of the Ender Dragon as the film’s main antagonist, which had plenty of long-time fans of the sandbox game very excited (via PCGames). But unfortunately, this idea was scrapped and replaced with Malgosha.

It’s worth noting that the original script for A Minecraft Movie was completely different from the version that was ultimately created, with a whole new crew attached. When Jared Hess was brought on as the film’s director, there was a sizable overhaul of ideas that included removing the Ender Dragon from the script and bringing in Malgosha instead.

Thankfully, Malgosha ended up being a pretty interesting villain for the story that A Minecraft Movie was trying to tell. It allowed a much more in-depth explanation of Minecraft’s Piglins, offering a new explanation for their unique behavior from the video game. While A Minecraft Movie was ultimately met with fairly mixed reviews, Malgosha’s antagonist was among the few things that critics could generally agree worked fairly well within the confines of the narrative.

The Ender Dragon Would’ve Given A Minecraft Movie A Better Villain Than Malgosha

The Connection To The Games Would Have Been Great

However, there’s no denying that the Ender Dragon would have been an even better villain for this movie. Not only does the character actually come from the video game, unlike Malgosha, but it poses a much better threat and could have drawn some exciting parallels between Steve’s journey and the journey that new players all experience when they boot up the game for the first time.

The Ender Dragon is the unofficial “final boss” of Minecraft, so it would have made so much sense for A Minecraft Movie to follow this same route. The film often struggled with its disjointed pacing and lack of momentum – much of which comes down to Malgosha’s motives and intentions being messy and unclear. This never would have been a problem with the Ender Dragon, as its motivation is much simpler: the creature simply guards the area that players have to conquer to win the game.

There’s a reason this area is called “The End” in the video game: it’s intended to be the conclusion of any new player’s story, and it seemed like such an easy lay-up for the film’s writers. A Minecraft Movie has been a huge commercial success, but this scattered storytelling has left it somewhat of a critical failure. Including a villain that viewers were already familiar with and whose motives are immediately clear could have been an easy way of making the movie more accessible to general audiences.

Why A Minecraft Movie Not Having The Ender Dragon Is So Disappointing

Long-Time Fans Of The Game Were Expecting To See The Iconic Villain

For those who’ve played Minecraft since the game was released, it was probably very disappointing when the Ender Dragon was cut from the movie altogether. The creature has become one of the biggest challenges for new players to overcome, and many fans of the game will always remember the first time they managed to navigate their way to The End and defeat the beast for the first time. It’s such a core element of the game at this point that it simply doesn’t make sense for the writers to get rid of it.

Conversely, it does make sense for A Minecraft Movie to use something connected to the Nether as its main villain – Malgosha just wasn’t quite as compelling as she could have been. The Nether and The End are the two main “alternate” dimensions that players can visit in Minecraft, as as the names suggest, the Nether is usually the first one that becomes available. This is probably why A Minecraft Movie decided to go there instead.

The Silver Lining To The Ender Dragon’s Absence From A Minecraft Movie

The Villain Can Still Make An Appearance In The Future

Interestingly, the video game franchise may be saving the Ender Dragon for a more important role in the sequel. A Minecraft Movie 2 has been provisionally confirmed, and the natural progression is for Steve and his friends to journey to The End and face the Ender Dragon. This is where most players go after conquering the Nether, and it would finally justify leaving the iconic creature out of the original movie.

Incidentally, A Minecraft Movie had some notable changes to the Endermen that could have subtly been setting up the Ender Dragon’s inclusion in the sequel. In the film, these uncanny creatures allow those who look into their eyes to glimpse alternate futures, clearly expanding their role from the video game. This could be foreshadowing a major twist in the second movie, giving the Endermen a more important purpose that could help Steve and his friends get to The End and face off against the Ender Dragon.