How Has the World Changed Since ‘The Incredibles’ Came out in 2004?

Adam Salandra
Movies Disney
Movies Disney

It’s been 14 years since moviegoers first saw the Incredibles save the day by defeating the evil Syndrome, and the world has become a different place since we last saw Jack-Jack and his family in theaters.

While no time has passed in the upcoming sequel, which picks up the action right where the original left off, a lot has changed in the real world.

Ahead of Incredibles 2 arriving in theaters on June 15, let’s take a look at how life has evolved since we originally met the first family of Supers in 2004.


Pixar Is Bigger Than Ever

Pixar Animation Studios

Pixar was only nine years into making feature-length films, beginning with 1995’s Toy Story, when The Incredibles first premiered. And while both of those films were critical and commercial successes, the production company is now three times bigger than it was back in 2004 and has only gotten better with time.

The Incredibles was the first Pixar film that featured human beings as the main characters, giving them a wider range of facial expressions than ever before. But that was only the beginning. By the time that Brave was released in 2012, there was a visible improvement in the animation of human characters, including advancements in expressions and more realistic hair. Last year’s Coco was one of the most visually impressive films that the studio has ever released, so expect the upcoming superhero sequel to deliver a whole new level of awesome animation.

Superheroes Have Taken Over The World

Avengers
The Avengers

It may be hard to think back to a time before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was the ruler of the cinematic world, but we hadn’t even been introduced to Iron Man or Captain America on the big screen back when The Incredibles was first released. And while films about heroes have been around forever, theaters are now more flooded with superhero flicks than ever before.

So with all that superhero saturation, how will Incredibles 2 stand out from the pack? Director Brad Bird says the answer is simple — family. The dichotomy between watching a nuclear family live out their mundane daily lives and witnessing them use their superpowers to save the world is what will make the film feel different from everything else that’s in theaters.

The #MeToo Movement

Elastigirl, Jack-Jack, and Mr. Incredible in 'Incredibles 2'
Elastigirl, Jack-Jack, and Mr. Incredible in 'Incredibles 2'

The superhero sequel is switching things up by having Mr. Incredible reluctantly stay home with the kids while his wife, Elastigirl, is the one out in the world fighting crime. Putting the focus on the female superhero and proving that she is just as capable as her husband is the perfect fit in 2018, with women in Hollywood and all over the world fighting for equality.

But as much as the film’s plot is a perfect reflection of current events, it’s actually just a coincidence that things turned out that way. Because of how long it takes to actually animate an entire film, it’s not really possible for creators to respond to what’s currently going on in the world. Bird actually said that he started imagining what it would be like to swap the roles of the patriarch and matriarch before the original film was even finished.

It’s not really surprising that Pixar was ahead of the curve when it comes to empowering its female characters, and we’ll get to see how the storyline pans out — and how great the animation is — when Incredibles 2 hits theaters on June 15.

Adam Salandra
Adam Salandra is an Entertainment Editor for FANDOM. When he's not covering the latest in pop culture, you can find him playing with his French Bulldog pup or hovering over the table of food at any social gathering.