How Jack Black’s ‘I Am Steve’ Minecraft line became a meme

The I Am Steve meme refers to actor and comedian Jack Black proclaiming the phrase in A Minecraft Movie, as seen in the film's teaser trailer. Black, the protagonist of the beloved Minecraft gaming universe, appears and says, "I Am Steve."

Meme basics

• Meme creator: Unknown
• Meme type: Catchphrase, Image Macro
• First appearance: September 2024
• Origin source: X
• Peak popularity: September 2024
  

Origin

Jack Black's "I Am Steve" moment is in the first teaser trailer for A Minecraft Movie, which will be released on April 4, 2025. As one of the adventurers approaches, Steve says, "Anything you can dream about here, you can make."

Then, one of the crew asks who he is, to which he triumphantly replies, "I Am Steve!"

Spread

Not long after the trailer's debut, the moment began to go viral across social media. A flurry of replies simply quoted the moment before some Twitter users shared the quote with a fire pen GIF, signifying it was a hot moment in the trailer.

The meme's first appearance arrived half an hour after the trailer was released. While this format was popular, it wasn't the only one. The I Am Steve catchphrase resonated with viewers, though there was some division between those thinking it was too cheesy and those thinking it was awesome.

As more people reacted to the trailer, there were more takes on the standout moment — both from fans of the character and fans of Jack Black.

Who is Steve in Minecraft?

Steve is an important part of the Minecraft world. He is the first of nine default player character skins available to players in a new game. Though the goal was for the characters to be gender-neutral, they have some gender-specific qualities. Alex is Steve's female counterpart.

Over the years, Steve has become an unofficial mascot for the game. In Oct. 2020, Steve became a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Since the character was added, it has been regarded as one of the best players in the game.

"There Is No Steve" theory

There are many fan theories and lore surrounding Minecraft, some of which involve Steve. One theory poses that since "Steve and Alex are intended as placeholders for players," basing a character on Steve doesn't make sense.

"We use Steve and Alex in our merchandise as mascots for Minecraft, but they should not have an active role in spin-off projects or storylines," the theory reasons. While there's no official response to the theory, it is one that's gotten fans thinking. There are some who feel like it's not that deep, but others get into the meta of it all.

Meme examples

More Minecraft memes:

• The Parkour Civilization meme, where no one chooses the beef
• ‘Minecraft builds be like’ reveals real-world architecture crimes
• The Children Yearn For The Mines
• ‘Haha, just kidding … Unless?’ meme lets Twitter users be risky with a safety net
• ‘The Minecraft Bee is trans’ meme is here to stay

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