Despicable Me 4 Director Explains Fantastic Four-Inspired Mega Minions

That rock-like Minion looks like The Thing on purpose.

By Jamie Jirak

Despicable Me 4 is heading to theaters this weekend, and the new animated film has some fun nods to Marvel. It was revealed in a trailer that the new movie will introduce "Mega Minions," a team of five Minions "with incredible power" and "zero responsibility." In a recent video by Illumination, franchise star Steve Carrell (Gru) poked fun at superhero movies by introducing Illumination's "Megaverse." While the Megaverse may not be real, the Mega Minions were actually inspired by the Fantastic Four. Despicable Me 4 co-directors Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage recently spoke with Entertainment Weekly about pulling inspiration from Marvel's first family. For example, the Mega Minions will include a rock-like Minion similar to The Thing and a stretchy Minion like Mr. Fantastic. 

"So, 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," Renaud explains. "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."

"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," he added. "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."

"In other words, with the Minion who stretches – that's Tim, who's our big tall guy – and so it makes sense [for him]," Renaud added. "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."

What Is Despicable Me 4 About? 

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(Photo:

Gru and his family are back for Despicable Me 4.

- Illumination)

You can read Illumination's description of Despicable Me 4 here: "Following the 2022 summer blockbuster phenomenon of Illumination's Minions: The Rise of Gru, which earned almost $1 billion worldwide, the biggest global animated franchise in history now begins a new chapter as Gru (Oscar® nominee Steve Carrell) and Lucy (Oscar® nominee Kristen Wiig) and their girls -Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan)-welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad.

Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal (Emmy winner Will Ferrell) and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina (Emmy nominee Sofia Vergara), and the family is forced to go on the run.

The film features fresh new characters voiced by Joey King (Bullet Train), Emmy winner Stephen Colbert (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), and Chloe Fineman (Saturday Night Live). Pierre Coffin returns as the iconic voice of the Minions and Oscar® nominee Steve Coogan returns as Silas Ramsbottom.

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Packed with non-stop action and filled with Illumination's signature subversive humor, Despicable Me 4 is directed by a co-creator of the Minions, Oscar® nominee Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets), and is produced by Illumination's visionary founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and by Brett Hoffman (executive producer, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Minions: The Rise of Gru). The film is co-directed by Patrick Delage (animation director Sing 2 and The Secret Life of Pets 2), and the screenplay is by the Emmy-winning creator of White Lotus, Mike White, and the veteran writer of every Despicable Me film, Ken Daurio."

Despicable Me 4 is now playing in theaters. 

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