Despicable Me 4 is set to hit theaters this weekend, and fans of the franchise are in for a treat with some exciting nods to Marvel. The new animated film will introduce “Mega Minions,” a team of five Minions endowed with incredible powers but zero responsibility. In a recent video by Illumination, Steve Carrell, who voices Gru, humorously introduced Illumination’s “Megaverse.” While the Megaverse might be a playful concept, the Mega Minions are very real and were inspired by Marvel’s Fantastic Four.
Despicable Me 4 co-directors Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage recently discussed with Entertainment Weekly how they drew inspiration from Marvel’s first family. For instance, the Mega Minions will feature a rock-like Minion reminiscent of The Thing and a stretchy Minion akin to Mr. Fantastic. Renaud explained, “When we started, the Minions were more part of the story in Mayflower, the nice town, and they were sort of hanging out on yachts, and I think they were in Vegas for part of the time. They had this kind of well-to-do lifestyle that they were living, but there wasn’t really enough comedy in it. So then we started talking about them working at the AVL and having the opportunity for them to go be agents for the AVL, which we thought was fun.”
Renaud further elaborated on the creative process, saying, “I know for me, I was definitely thinking about simple powers that are very graphic and easily understood. We talked about a lot of things, but I think knowing the amount of screen time we had, which wasn’t much, [we went with] very kind of archetypal powers sort of in the vein and the look of the Fantastic Four. So their powers aren’t exactly the Fantastic Four, but one thing that I like as a comparison to that group is the Fantastic Four powers are slightly goofy … The Invisible Woman, the fire guy, the rock guy, there’s something about it. It works great as a comic, but the visual and graphic sensibility of those powers really lent themselves to the Minions.”
Renaud also mentioned how the design of the Minions influenced their superpowers. “In other words, with the Minion who stretches – that’s Tim, who’s our big tall guy – and so it makes sense [for him]. And of course, Mel, with the laser beam powers, he’s a one-eyed guy with a goggle, and then the goggle extends. So it was looking at ways that even some of the design as a normal minion, how that design could lead to what their superpower might be.”
Despicable Me 4 promises to be an action-packed adventure filled with Illumination’s signature humor. The film follows the events of the 2022 summer blockbuster Minions: The Rise of Gru, which earned nearly $1 billion worldwide. The story continues with Gru (voiced by Steve Carrell) and Lucy (voiced by Kristen Wiig) and their daughters Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Madison Polan) as they welcome a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad.
Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal (voiced by Will Ferrell) and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina (voiced by Sofia Vergara), forcing the family to go on the run. The film also features new characters voiced by Joey King, Stephen Colbert, and Chloe Fineman. Pierre Coffin returns as the iconic voice of the Minions, and Steve Coogan reprises his role as Silas Ramsbottom.
Directed by Chris Renaud, a co-creator of the Minions, and produced by Illumination’s founder and CEO Chris Meledandri, along with Brett Hoffman, Despicable Me 4 is co-directed by Patrick Delage. The screenplay is penned by Mike White, the Emmy-winning creator of White Lotus, and Ken Daurio, a veteran writer of every Despicable Me film.
Despicable Me 4 is now playing in theaters, offering fans a delightful blend of action, humor, and heartwarming moments. The introduction of the Fantastic Four-inspired Mega Minions adds a fresh and exciting twist to the beloved franchise, making it a must-watch for audiences of all ages.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
