Perhaps we’re too used to the real-time nature of films from the Toy Story and Harry Potter franchise, but it was a bit of a shock when it was first revealed that Incredibles 2 would not take place years after the original. Given that it had been a solid 15 years or so since we saw the first movie, I suppose it’s natural for things to feel a bit odd if some time didn’t pass.

However, as we now know, not only is there no real time skip between the Incredibles films, but the second one actually takes place immediately after the first one, where the family takes on the Underminer, who popped up at the very end of The Incredibles. But why go this route? Letting some time pass and the world evolve seemed like the natural way to take things.

RELATED – Incredibles On The Fun Of Having A Super-Powered Baby With Jack-Jack

LRM recently attended a press conference for the Pixar film, and there, writer-director Brad Bird addressed the question of why he picked things up where they left off. Here’s what he said:

“I just thought it was kind of bold and weird. Because I think people take the time that passes very literally. And they think that linearly, the characters should have aged. But if they age, their superpowers don’t reflect the part of life that they’re in and their role in the family. So I worked on the first eight seasons of the Simpsons. And the Simpsons haven’t aged a day and they’re still on the air. So it worked for them. And why not us?”

When all said and done, it sounds to me like he was very interested in retaining the kids’ ability levels and keeping them in their own respective role for this movie. In another press conference earlier in the year, Bird also went on to say that he had very little interested in a grown-up JackJack, so it’s clear that he just has a very specific vision for this narrow point in time, which makes sense.

Were you sad when you found out the film would not take place years after the first? Let us know your thoughts down below!

Don’t forget to share this post on your Facebook wall and with your Twitter followers! Just hit the buttons on the top of this page.