Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves already has a colorful cast, but its trailer showed the strangest D&D character to appear in the film. Action-packed and embracing the colorful creatures of the D&D monster manuals, the 2022 movie preview released by Hasbro teased a bizarre odyssey featuring familiar faces from the roleplaying game. However, while many noticed exotic characters like owlbears and mimics in the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves trailer, many were surprised to see a classic monster which guaranteed the movie will take some strange turns.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
In the world of D&D, there are few beasts as iconic or bizarre as the gelatinous cube. Created by Gary Gygax, the cube is a giant gluttonous ooze that mindlessly absorbs and feeds on everything within its path. Unlike many monsters in Dungeons & Dragons, which had their basis in traditional mythological archetypes, the cube was an original creation of Gygax. Because of its enjoyably strange premise and the challenges it presents in countless D&D campaigns, the gelatinous cube has been called one of Gygax’s greatest monsters.
Glimpsed only briefly in the D&D movie’s trailer, there was plenty to uncover about the killer cube, whose inclusion could reveal more about the film's plot. Out of its element among a menagerie of exotic gladiatorial beasts, its appearance suggested Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ gelatinous cube isn’t as simple as it first appears, or an exact adaptation from the game. Additionally, with all the attention given by Hasbro in their promotional material, it’s insinuated the giant ooze has a bigger role to play in the plot.
Why Honor Among Thieves' Gelatinous Cube Might Be Important
Typically lurking in damp, dark, and claustrophobic places, the trailer showed a gelatinous cube as a gladiatorial captive and cover for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ other characters as they attempt to escape other combatants. The fact that a cube is among a number of exotic animals and prisoners hints that there may be something special about it. Additionally, Hasbro’s marketing for the D&D film put the gelatinous cube front and center. So far, Hasbro has revealed an action figure based on its appearance in the movie and offered a special “I Survived The Gelatinous Cube” photo op at SDCC 2022, indicating that it may have a considerable role in the plot or, at least, a memorable one.
Although gelatinous cubes have intelligence comparable to an amoeba, it’s not unheard of for them to become sentient in D&D. One such instance, known as Glabbagool, is a cube that is often a joke character known for its curiosity, pacifism, and ability to speak through telepathy. Considering the Guardians of the Galaxy-style comedy of the Dungeons & Dragons movie, it wouldn’t be surprising if they’d include such a comic relief cube. If it is Glabbagool, or something similar, they’re usually a sign of something more sinister. Sometimes heralding the arrival of a demon lord like Juiblex, as was the case with Glabbagool, and other times, they are just minions of a more dangerous mastermind. Regardless the gelatinous cube usually acted as a harbinger of a strange adventure and promises the same for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
Above all else, the inclusion of D&D’s strangest character in the trailer means that Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has its audience in mind and a love for the source material. The gelatinous cube has a special place in D&D’s bestiary and is a memorable part of countless adventures. Although only seen for a few moments in the preview, it’s clear that Hasbro has plans for the gelatinous cube and the Dungeons & Dragons reboot.