Despicable Me 4 (2024): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Ending
Despicable Me 4 is a 2024 animated comedy directed by Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage, starring Steve Carell as Gru, Will Ferrell and Sofía Vergara. It runs 1 hour 35 minutes and earned $972 million worldwide on a $100 million budget. It earned 1 award nomination, including Best Animated Film at the Saturn Awards 2025. Critics gave it 52 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.2/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 35m (95 min)
- Directors
- Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage
- Original language
-
English
- Studio
- Universal Pictures
- Budget
- $100M
- After the credits
- Yes Extra scene during or after the credits
What Is Despicable Me 4 About?
The premise of Despicable Me 4 without spoilers. The whole story and the ending explained are in the plot summary further down.
Lovable supervillain Gru and his family are joined by a new member, Gru Jr., a mischievous mini-me who tests his father's patience. When Gru and the family face off against the diabolical duo of Maxime Le Mal and Valentina, they must work together to outsmart their opponents and save the day in a hilarious and heartwarming adventure.
Despicable Me 4 Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- sequel
- baby
- villain
- heist
- superhero
- despicable me's minion character
- honey badger
- badger
- minion
- fourth part
- dog
- goat
+38 more Show fewer
- vending machine
- bus
- witness protection
- treehouse
- brainwashing
- human animal hybrid
- invented language
- supervillain
- cgi animation
- 3d
- 3 dimensional
- cg animation
- cat
- girl
- computer animation
- house
- laser
- baby powder
- cape
- super strength
- seagull
- tennis ball
- laser vision
- whistle
- cockroach
- tennis
- floating
- karate
- dental braces
- coffee
- cheese
- singing
- microwave
- tennis court
- tennis racket
- bull
- bee
- sunglasses
Despicable Me 4 Cast & Characters
Steve Carell leads the cast as Gru, with Will Ferrell as Maxime and Sofía Vergara as Valentina. Directed by Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage; 18 actors are credited in all.
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Co-director Chris Renaud - Co-director Patrick Delage
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Steve Carell as Gru -
Will Ferrell as Maxime -
Sofía Vergara as Valentina -
Steve Coogan as Silas
Also Starring in Despicable Me 4
· 14 more- Joey King Poppy Prescott
- Kristen Wiig Lucy
- Miranda Cosgrove Margo
- Laraine Newman Melora, Additional Voice
- Stephen Colbert Perry Prescott
- Pierre Coffin Minions
- John DiMaggio Bus Driver
- Dana Gaier Edith
- Cathy Cavadini Additional Voice
- Chloe Fineman Patsy Prescott
- Will Collyer Additional Voice
- Abby Craden Additional Voice
- Madison Skyy Polan Agnes
- Eden Boulton Additional Voice
More from Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage
More films directed by Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage, best-rated first: Minions & Monsters, Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2 and The Secret Life of Pets 2.
Despicable Me 4 Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Despicable Me 4 52 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.2/10. Our Echo Score gives it 66/100, strongest in art & craft (80) and weakest in story & flow (55).
Despicable Me 4 Echo Score Breakdown
Despicable Me 4 delivers uneven yet engaging family entertainment through its familiar cartoon mayhem and sporadic humor. While its series hallmark of chaotic vignettes and playful Minions generates moments of genuine amusement, the script’s formulaic structure and lack of narrative innovation limit its impact. Technical aspects such as animation and soundtrack maintain high production values, offsetting intermittent pacing and tonal inconsistencies. Ultimately, the film offers a serviceable, if unremarkable, addition to the franchise.
Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.
- Art & Craft 80
In terms of art and craft, the film excels in vibrant animation and polished production design. Reviewers note Illumination’s detailed color palette and dynamic visual style, with sharp textures and fluid motion bringing energetic sequences to life. Editing maintains brisk transitions between set pieces, although some segments feel overstuffed. Overall, the technical artistry supports an engaging visual experience.
- Character & Emotion 65
When it comes to character and emotion, performances remain solid but limited by surface-level development. Steve Carell’s portrayal of Gru retains its affectionate grumpiness, and supporting voices bring occasional warmth. However, the film rarely expands on emotional stakes, relying on familiar personality traits rather than new depth. Consequently, character engagement feels mildly entertaining but lacks substantial resonance.
- Story & Flow 55
In terms of story and flow, the film adopts a familiar, vignette-driven structure that delivers uneven pacing and limited narrative cohesion. Critics point out a reliance on brief set pieces that hinder plot development, while users note minimal originality across episodes. Although intermittent comedic moments maintain engagement, the overall storyline lacks the coherence required for sustained investment.
- Sensory Experience 70
When it comes to sensory experience, the film offers an upbeat soundtrack and clear sound design that complement its bright visuals. Reviewers mention catchy musical cues and atmospheric effects punctuating action sequences, while animation quality presents crisp details and lively color contrasts. These elements collectively sustain viewer attention through dynamic audio-visual interplay.
- Rewatch Factor 60
In terms of rewatch factor, the movie delivers sporadic laughs but limited lasting appeal. The franchise’s signature humor provides enough amusement for repeat viewings by younger audiences, yet the formulaic structure and predictable sequences may diminish interest over time. As a result, the film feels moderately rewatchable but unlikely to inspire broad replay enthusiasm.
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IMDb 6.2 /10
80659 votes
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 52 Metascore
User score 6.0
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 70% User score
See on TMDB
Despicable Me 4 Plot Summary & Ending Explained
What happens in Despicable Me 4 from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events and the ending explained. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
The film kicks off with Gru attending a reunion at his former school, Lychee Pas Bon. There, he confronts a nemesis from his past, Maxime Le Mal, who harbors a deep grudge after Gru allegedly stole his act during their childhood. Maxime boasts about his newfound powers, claiming to have harnessed cockroach parts in his quest for world domination. However, the AVL, alongside Gru, manages to apprehend him. Much to their dismay, Maxime, with the assistance of his girlfriend Valentina—portrayed by Sofía Vergara—escapes from custody, intent on transforming humanity into hybrids of humans and cockroaches, with a disturbing focus on Gru’s biological son, Gru Jr..
Full summary
The whole story of Despicable Me 4, scene by scene, with the ending explained
Despicable Me 4 Box Office & Budget
Despicable Me 4 grossed $972 million worldwide on a $100 million budget, 9.7 times what it cost. $361 million came from the US and Canada and $611 million (63%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$972M
9.7× its budget
- US & Canada
- $361M
- International
- $611M
- Budget
- $100M
Despicable Me 4 Awards & Nominations
Despicable Me 4 earned 1 award nomination, including Best Animated Film at the Saturn Awards 2025.
1 nomination1 ceremony
-
Saturn Awards 2025 1 nomination- Nominated Best Animated Film
Despicable Me 4 Trailers & Videos
31 videos: 2 trailers, 7 teasers, 7 clips, 11 featurettes and 4 behind-the-scenes videos.
- Trailer Official Trailer 2
- Teaser Poppy Spot - Fire & Flames
- Teaser Minion Intelligence (Big Game Spot)
- Teaser Paris Olympics Spot
How Well Do You Know Despicable Me 4?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What creature does Maxime Le Mal merge with to gain superhuman abilities?
Despicable Me 4 Also Known As
48 alternative titles, including “卑鄙的我4” and “من نفرتانگیز ۴”.
- Also known as
-
- 卑鄙的我4
- من نفرتانگیز ۴
- Moi
- Moche et Méchant 4
- Détestable Moi 4
- Grusomme meg 4
- İyrənc mən 4
- Yaramaz Mən 4
- Mi villano favorito 4
- 坏蛋奖门人4
- Mina
- Supervaras 4
+36 more Show fewer
- Aulinn ég 4
- 神偷奶爸4
- 壞蛋獎門人4
- Gru - O Maldisposto 4
- Moi, moche et méchant 4
- Gru 4. Mi villano favorito
- Kẻ Trộm Mặt Trăng 4
- Εγώ, ο Απαισιότατος 4
- Ich - Einfach unverbesserlich 4
- Cattivissimo me 4
- Нікчемний Я 4
- Meu Malvado Favorito 4
- Já, padouch 4
- Gru i Minionki: Pod przykrywką, საზიზღარი მე 4
- 슈퍼배드 4
- גנוב על החיים
- Gru 4.
- มิสเตอร์แสบ ร้ายเกินพิกัด 4
- Гадкий я 4
- 壞蛋獎門人 4
- Çılgın Hırsız 4
- Грозан ја 4
- Ja, zloduch 4
- Itse ilkimys 4
- 怪盗グルーのミニオン超変身
- Gru 4, el meu dolent preferit
- Аз, проклетникът 4
- Dumma mej 4
- الحقير أنا 4
- Verschrikkelijke Ikke 4
- Jaz, baraba 4
- Bjaurusis Aš 4
- Sunt un mic ticălos 4
- Grusomme Mig 4
- Gru i Malci: Neustrašivi špijuni
- Nejaukais es 4
Seen Despicable Me 4?
Movies Like Despicable Me 4
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Despicable Me 3, Despicable Me and Minions: The Rise of Gru.
Despicable Me 4 FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Despicable Me 4, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Despicable Me 4?
Despicable Me 4 runs 1 hour 35 minutes (95 minutes).
When was Despicable Me 4 released?
Despicable Me 4 was released on July 3, 2024.
Who directed Despicable Me 4?
Despicable Me 4 was directed by Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage.
More films by Chris Renaud Who is in the cast of Despicable Me 4?
Despicable Me 4 stars Steve Carell as Gru, Will Ferrell as Maxime and Sofía Vergara as Valentina, among 18 credited actors.
How much did Despicable Me 4 make at the box office?
Despicable Me 4 grossed $972 million worldwide ($361 million domestic, $611 million international) on a budget of $100 million.
How is Despicable Me 4 rated?
Despicable Me 4 has 6.2/10 on IMDb, 52 on Metacritic and 70% on TMDB.
Was Despicable Me 4 nominated for any awards?
Despicable Me 4 received 1 nomination across 1 ceremony.
Does Despicable Me 4 have a post-credit scene?
Yes. Despicable Me 4 has an extra scene during or after the credits, so it is worth staying seated.
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