With Illumination Entertainment's Despicable Me 4 headed for theaters in 2024, here is everything we know about the upcoming sequel.
After the studio's jaunt through the Mushroom Kingdom with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Illumination will check back in on Steve Carell's dastardly Gru and those pesky Minions after - what will be - seven years since the last mainline Despicable Me film.
The Despicable Me franchise has become a juggernaut for Illumination and Universal since its debut in 2010, pulling in over $4.4 billion at the worldwide box office across its three mainline movies and pair of Minions spin-offs.
The series is currently the highest-grossing animated franchise of all time and is not showing any signs of slowing down heading into Despicable Me 4.
Despicable Me 4 Release Date: When Is It Coming Out?
Announced by Universal back in February 2022, Despicable Me 4 was confirmed to be coming to theaters on July 3, 2024 (via Variety).
The movie is currently set to open against Disney's hotly anticipated live-action Lion King prequel Mufasa: The Lion King.
Given that both the writer and actors of Hollywood are currently on strike, there is a possibility Despicable Me 4 is delayed from that July date, as much of the industry will likely have to reshuffle its schedules.
However, star Steve Carell confirmed (via Yahoo) in August 2022 that he had "started [recording]" on the film and [he'd] done a couple of sessions so far," meaning the movie could be further along in production and avoid a potential push because of such.
Despicable Me 4 Cast: Who Will Return?
Up to this point, only five actors have been confirmed to appear in the upcoming sequel, but surely, there are more casting announcements coming as the sequel heads toward its summer 2024 release date.
Here is a list of the actors and characters they are playing:
Steve Carell - Gru
The protagonist of the Despicable Me franchise has been and (likely) always will be Steve Carell's Gru. This somewhat reformed supervillain is now the father of three young girls and the husband of Anti-Villain League (AVL) agent Lucy Wilde. He has put aside his villainous tendencies as best he can in helping the AVL.
Kirsten Wiig - Lucy Wilde
Former Saturday Night Live star Kirsten Wiig has been one of the biggest new additions to the Despicable Me franchise since her debut in Despicable Me 2. Her Anti-Villain League agent Lucy Wilde was initially tasked with capturing Gru and bringing him into the AVL, but she has since developed a relationship with the former villain, and the two have even married.
Miranda Cosgrove - Margo
The only confirmed Gru daughter to return in Despicable Me 4 is Miranda Cogrove's Margo. The eldest of the three adopted daughters, she has been responsible for her three sisters as they wished for an adoptive family that would love them, something Carell's Gru eventually gave them.
Dana Gaier - Edith (Rumored)
The adopted middle child of the Gru family is Edith (played by Dana Gaier). Edith is best known for her signature pink beanie and affinity for the chaotic, causing all sorts of mischief and destruction across the Despicable Me movies.
Nev Scharrel - Agnes (Rumored)
Agnes is the youngest of the adopted Gru sisters. Played by Nev Scharrel, Agnes is undeniably the cutest of the bunch, with her naivety and love of unicorns being her defining characteristics up to this point. Scharrel took over as Agnes for Despicable Me 3 and will likely be back for 4.
Pierre Coffin - The Minions
Arguably the biggest thing to come from the Despicable Me franchise has been the Minions (voiced by Pierre Coffin), so naturally, they would be back in the upcoming fourth film. These banana-yellow nonsense-spouting worker bees have been under the employ of Gru for quite some time, going from helping him in his supervillain exploits to aiding in the domestic tasks that come with being a father.
Steve Coogan - Silas Ramsbottom
Appearing as the former director of the Anti-Villain League and the boss of Agent Lucy Wilde is British comedian Steve Coogan's character, Silas Ramsbottom. Silas has been around the Despicable Me franchise since the second film and has already been confirmed to appear in the upcoming fourth movie.
What Will Happen in Despicable Me 4?
No plot specifics have been made public about Despicable Me 4 as of yet, but there are hints out there about where the fourth movie could go.
Teasing what to expect in Despicable Me 4, franchise star Steve Carell revealed in an interview with Digital Spy that fans can expect "a continuation of the story" and "how [Gru and Lucy's] kids are included in the whole process" of the Anti-Villain League:
"It's a continuation of the story. Gru and Lucy [voiced by Kristen Wiig] are married; they're a family at this point. It's the next step in their world with the Anti-Villain League and how their kids are included in the whole process. It's the most logical next step in the continuation of their story as a family together."
This could mean the adopted Gru sisters are getting ready to potentially become AVL agents themselves in Despicable Me 4. And after another world-threatening supervillain plot begins to unfold, Gru and the rest of the family could be roped in to save the day.
Where Can I Watch Despicable Me 4 When It Releases?
Just like the other three Despicable Me films, Despicable Me 4 will be getting a full international theatrical release. And why wouldn't it, with the series being the box office titan it is?
As for where audiences can take in the animated epic at home, the movie will be available on all on-demand storefronts (ie. Apple, Google, and Amazon).
But it will also likely be made available to stream on NBCUniversal's Peacock app, just as Illumination Entertainment's other titles have been, with a possible move down the line to Netflix.
Is There a Despicable Me 4 Trailer?
A trailer for Despicable Me 4 has not yet been released to the public, but one is almost surely coming soon.
Illumination will likely want to capitalize on the release of another one of its upcoming films to attach the Despicable Me 4 trailer to. So the most logical spot for the studio to drop a first look would be alongside its upcoming release, Migration.
Migration is due out on December 22, 2023. This is about six months from Despicable Me 4's release date, which would be the perfect amount of time to release a trailer before the movie hits the big screen.
How Many Despicable Me Movies Are There?
Currently, the Despicable Me franchise is made up of four mainline films (including the incoming Despicable Me 4) and two Minion-focused spin-offs.
The franchise also includes a number of video games for mobile phones, as well as the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem attraction at the Universal Studios Orlando theme park.
The full list of Despicable Me (and Minions) films is as follows:
- Despicable Me (2010)
- Despicable Me 2 (2013)
- Minions (2015)
- Despicable Me 3 (2017)
- Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)
- Despicable Me 4 (2024)
Despicable Me 4 is still slated for release on July 3, 2024.
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