More than two decades after The Incredibles hit theaters, Brad Bird's superhero family saga remains a Pixar masterpiece. The film's blend of action, family dynamics, and retro-futuristic style has cemented its legacy, but the emotional core wouldn't work without Syndrome (Jason Lee). The superfan-turned-supervillain gives Bob Parr's (Craig T. Nelson) midlife crisis a deeply personal edge, turning a straightforward superhero adventure into a story about regret, ego, and missed opportunities.
It's hard to imagine The Incredibles without Syndrome as its central antagonist, but according to Bird, the character almost had a very different fate. During a San Diego Comic-Con panel moderated by Collider's Steve Weintraub and attended by Collider's Samantha Coley, the filmmaker revealed that a creative exercise forced him to rethink the movie's opening. Although the sequence was ultimately abandoned, it unexpectedly became the key to creating one of Pixar's most memorable villains.
Brad Bird's Alternate Opening Changed 'The Incredibles' Forever
Speaking during the panel, Bird explained that Pixar challenged him to experiment with a radically different opening. Instead of introducing the Parr family during the height of their superhero careers before jumping ahead 15 years, the alternate version would have begun after the superheroes had already gone into hiding. In the unused opening, Bob and Helen Parr (Holly Hunter) had just entered witness protection, with baby Violet (Sarah Vowell) in tow, after superheroes were forced underground. The story revolved around villains hunting retired heroes in their civilian identities to settle old scores. One of those villains was Syndrome, who appeared during the opening only to die before the story had truly begun. That unexpected experiment completely changed Bird's opinion of the character.
"I had this villain show up that was Syndrome, and he died in the opening sequence. And everyone, including me, liked him better than the villain I had," Bird said.
Rather than continue with the alternate opening, Bird returned to his original vision of showing the Parrs during the "golden era" of superheroes before jumping ahead to their ordinary suburban lives. This time, however, Syndrome became the movie's primary antagonist. Bird also revealed where the character's defining motivation came from. Inspiration struck after reading the autobiography of Burt Ward, who portrayed Robin in the 1960s Batman television series. Bird sensed what he described as "some kind of dark resentment" from the former Boy Wonder, leading him to imagine a villain consumed by being rejected as a sidekick. That concept ultimately evolved into Buddy Pine, the obsessive fan Mr. Incredible dismisses early in the movie before he grows into the revenge-driven Syndrome audiences know today.
While fans will never get to see the alternate opening that Bird wrote, its impact lives on throughout The Incredibles. The discarded sequence may have disappeared, but without it, Pixar might never have found the villain who helped define one of the studio's greatest movies. For more on how character deaths can shape a story, check out our look at high fantasy movies that nail every scene.
The Incredibles and its sequel, Incredibles 2, are streaming now on Disney+, with Incredibles 3 now in active development. Collider is at San Diego Comic-Con all weekend, so be sure to check back for the latest updates.
