Summary

• Will Ferrell's role as Maxime Le Mal in Despicable Me 4 adds comedic promise to the franchise's latest installment.
• Ferrell's absence in Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate highlights the sequel's lack of a compelling villain.
• The choice for Ferrell to join Despicable Me 4 over Megamind reflects the contrasting trajectories of each franchise.

Will Ferrell is set to play the villain in one upcoming movie, and while this role looks incredibly promising for one franchise, it makes things even worse for another failed sequel. Ferell is best known for his comedy work, and his role as Despicable Me 4's antagonist looks like it will be hilarious. Will Ferrell will play Maxime Le Mal in Despicable Me 4, and the movie's latest trailer indicates he will be a breath of fresh air for the franchise. It seems like a perfect casting choice, but this makes things even worse for a recent failed sequel.

One popular movie was finally given a sequel earlier this year, and while the original has become a cult classic, its sequel really failed to deliver. With a 9% Rotten Tomatoes score, Peacock's disappointing follow-up was already a complete disaster, but Ferrell's Despicable Me 4 casting only amplifies where it went wrong. Ferrell is already looking to redeem Strays' poor box office with Despicable Me 4, but he was nearly part of Peacock's failure. The actor was a central part of the original film but didn't return for the follow-up, exposing just how flat this sequel fell.

Will Ferrell’s Despicable Me 4 Role Makes Megamind Vs. The Doom Syndicate's Villain Problem Look Worse

Megamind Vs. The Doom Syndicate Desperately Needed A Villain Like Ferrell's Maxime Le Mal

Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate was released to abysmal reviews, but its villain problem looks even worse due to Ferrell's Despicable Me 4 role. There were a lot of problems regarding the Megamind sequel, but one of its biggest issues was undoubtedly its underwhelming villain group. While each member of the Doom Syndicate had their own interesting gimmick, they barely got a proper chance to showcase their abilities or truly develop their character. In contrast, Megamind's original villain, Titan, was one of the highlights and perfectly complimented Megamind as a character, making the sequel's problems incredibly noticeable.

If this wasn't bad enough, Ferrell's role in Despicable Me 4 further highlighted the problem, as Will Ferrel didn't return for Megamind 2 despite Despicable Me 4 being set to release just a few months later. Losing Ferrell as the movie's protagonist was bad enough for Megamind vs the Doom Syndicate, but considering his villain role looks great in Despicable Me 4, Peacock's failure looks more and more disappointing. Megamind 2 desperately needed a compelling villain, and this is exactly what Ferrell will offer Despicable Me 4, showing just how big of a loss Ferrell's departure was for the sequel.

Will Ferrell's Maxime Le Mal Is Encouraging For Despicable Me 4

Despicable Me 4 Looks Incredibly Promising Thanks To Will Ferrell's Antagonist Role

Although Megamind has suffered massively from losing Will Ferrell, Despicable Me 4 looks far better thanks to his character, Maxime Le Mal. His role in the trailer may be limited, but Maxime looks like a lot of fun and seems to fit the franchise perfectly. Despicable Me loves its flamboyant and over-the-top villains since they are the perfect rivals to Gru, and Ferrell's antagonist looks like a great addition. He clearly has a big personality and, considering his goal seems to be getting some kind of revenge on the protagonist, he will likely be both menacing and being hilarious.

Adding Ferrell to the Despicable Me 4 cast is incredibly encouraging for the movie, as the actor is a veteran when it comes to family-orientated comedy. He knows exactly what a movie like this needs as the original Megamind movie showed, and if he can translate those same qualities into Despicable Me 4, Maxime Le Mal will definitely be a memorable villain. While there is no guarantee Ferrell's Despicable Me role will be as good as his previous performances, the early signs are certainly positive, and his track record suggests he will get the best out of the character.

Ferrell Swapping Megamind For Despicable Me Tells The Story Of Both Franchises

Both Franchises Are On Completely Different Trajectories Despite Starting In The Same Year

While it isn't clear if Ferrell was offered to return to Megamind or not, his decision to join Despicable Me 4 reflects exactly where each franchise is at. Megamind's fan base only seemed to grow after its release, with the demand for a sequel seemingly increasing as the years went by. The first film even had a successful box office haul, proving there was franchise potential. However, the sequel and follow-up series took 14 years to release and went straight to streaming while also receiving terrible reviews, highlighting Megamind's downward spiral.

The inability to cash in on the franchise when it was hot alongside the disappointing follow-up means the desire for Megamind has cooled dramatically.

The inability to cash in on the franchise when it was hot alongside the disappointing follow-up means the desire for Megamind has cooled dramatically. On the other hand, Despicable Me has gone from strength to strength despite the first film releasing in the same year as Megamind. With plenty of sequels and spinoffs, Despicable Me became the highest-grossing animated film franchise of all time, showing how well it has done. Ferrell swapping one franchise for the other proves just how hot Despicable Me is over a decade after its release while also revealing how far Megamind has fallen.

Despicable Me 4 is scheduled to be released on July 3, 2024.