The Screenslaver: First Details About Myserious 'Incredibles 2' Villain Revealed

Everybody remembers Syndrome, right? The superhero super-fan turned nefarious villain plagued the [...]

Everybody remembers Syndrome, right? The superhero super-fan turned nefarious villain plagued the likes of the Parr family in the first Incredibles movie, and is remembered fondly as one of the best bad guys in superhero movie history.

Nearly 14 years after we watched Syndrome's evil reign down on The Incredibles, a new villain is set to make his big screen debut, a new villain that is utterly creepy and shrouded in mystery. His name is The Screenslaver, and he is going to give our favorite Pixar heroes a run for their money.

Fans got their first glimpse at Screenslaver last week, when the first full-length trailer for Incredibles 2 debuted online. At the very end of the trailer, the villain appeared in a black suit and bright blue goggles, and it seemed as though he was using an assortment of TV screens to hypnotize people.

While the trailer only offered one glimpse at The Screensaver (below), there is certainly much more to learn about the new villain, and we've got the scoop, thanks to a recent visit to Pixar Animation Studios.

incredibles 2 villain screenslaver
(Photo: Pixar Animation Studios)

The Screenslaver's name is pretty self-explanatory. As the trailer briefly showed, he uses TV and computer screens to hypnotize innocent people. Those blue goggles he wears also have some kind of hypnotic power, though the specifics of that gadget have yet to be revealed.

Despite the fact that Screenslaver utilizes high-tech gadgets to wreak havoc on the city, his evil lair is a bit of a dump. The new villain lives in a forgotten space beneath the overpass. He has taken all kinds of old trash and junk to build his lair, giving off a very grungy vibe.

This certainly sounds like a massive departure from Syndrome, who thrived on an obsessive nature and lavish lifestyle. According to franchise writer/director Brad Bird, The Screenslaver was designed as the main villain of Incredibles 2 specifically to convey the idea that attachment to screens can be a major problem in our world.

Here's what Bird had to say at a Q&A panel when he was asked about the themes of the film:

"We have things about, again exploring the roles of men and women, the importance of fathers participating, the importance of allowing women to also express themselves through work and they are just as viable as men are and there's aspects of being controlled by screens, there's feelings about the difficulties of parenthood, that parenting is a heroic act."

Obviously, the roles of men and women in a family are being tackled by having Elastigirl go out on her own as a superhero while Mr. Incredible stays home with the kids. The theme of being controlled by screens however, that role belongs entirely to the terrifying Screenslaver.

What do you think of this new Pixar villain? Let us know in the comment section below!

Disney/Pixar's Incredibles 2 is set to hit theaters on June 15.

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