Summary

• The trailer for Despicable Me 4 has been released, showing the return of iconic characters the Minions and the reformed villain Gru, along with a surprise family addition.
• Despicable Me 4 is the sixth installment in the long-running franchise from Illumination Entertainment.
• The movie is set to release on July 3, 2024.

The Despicable Me 4 trailer has arrived. The animated movie from Illumination is the sixth installment in the Despicable Me franchise, which also includes the Minions subfranchise. The movie features the return of the iconic characters from the original franchise, including the reformed supervillain Gru (Steve Carell), his wife as of Despicable Me 2 Lucy (Kristen Wiig), their adopted daughter Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), and Gru's troublemaking, yellow, diminutive henchmen the Minions (Pierre Coffin).

The official trailer for the Despicable Me 4 has now been released. Check it out below:

Along with the return of familiar characters like Gru and his Minions, the Despicable Me 4 trailer also introduces a new addition to the family – Gru Jr. Unlike the good relationship Gru has with his adopted daughters, it appears Gru Jr. hasn't quite warmed up to his dad. Surely, though, the adventure that awaits the whole family as they team-up against a villain with a vendetta against Gru (Will Ferrell's Maxime Le Mal) will give the father and son a chance to bond.

Will Despicable Me 4 Be A Comeback After Despicable Me 3?

This trailer promises more adventures for these now iconic characters, but it remains to be seen if the Despicable Me movies can course-correct after Despicable Me 3. While the movie was a financial success, earning over $1 billion at the worldwide box office and becoming the second highest-grossing installment after 2015's Minions, it marked a critical step downward, earning the main branch of the franchise its first Rotten Tomatoes splat. Below, check out how its Rotten Tomatoes critic and audience score compares to the rest of the movies:

The Minions subfranchise has already reversed the negative scores of its debut movie. However, it remains to be seen if this new installment will continue the core franchise's slide down the scale. The Despicable Me 4 cast will likely provide the movie with a strong boost, as the characters beyond Gru and the Minions have now not been seen on the big screen for seven years, so this new trailer may have provided a nostalgic boost that will drive audience interest and appreciation throughout the movie's promotional campaign and theatrical run.

However, if Despicable Me 4 fails to strike a chord with critics and audiences, it seems possible that the main branch of the franchise will either have another long hiatus or shut down completely. In that case, the development of Minions 3 seems like a strong possibility, especially considering the Minions movies' upward momentum on the critical scale. Likewise, as the Minions are the de facto mascots of Illumination, it seems unlikely that the company will do away with them entirely.