Summary

• Will Ferrell makes his Despicable Me franchise debut in 2024 as the villain, aiming for revenge against Gru.
• Despicable Me 4 is expected to be a box-office hit, following the highly successful track record of the franchise.
• Despicable Me 4 may help redeem Ferrell's voice acting career after the flop of his 2023 release, Strays.

Will Ferrell has a chance at redemption for his 2023 bomb Strays with his voice role in Despicable Me & Minions franchise took a detour in 2022 with the prequel feature Minions: The Rise of Gru. The movie series has always featured colorful and memorable villains, each of whom has been voiced by a noteworthy actor or actress.

Will Ferrell will make his debut in the Despicable Me franchise in Despicable Me 4, as he will voice the movie's primary villain, Maxime Le Mal. While he only has one line in the trailer, Ferrell's villainous Maxime Le Mal says that he is seeking revenge against Gru, indicating they have some sort of history together. Ferrell's involvement will be beneficial for the veteran comedic voice actor, as it could serve as redemption for his disastrous 2023 role.

Despicable Me 4 Will Easily Be A Box Office Hit For Will Ferrell In 2024

The Illumination franchise is a gold mine at the box office.

Despicable Me 4 is as close to a lock for box office success as anything that will be released in 2024. Every movie from the Despicable Me franchise has grossed at least $500 million, and only the original movie grossed less than $940 million. Illumination has rarely missed in recent years with their animated franchises, as the Sing, The Secret Life of Pets and The Super Mario Bros. Movie franchises have been highly profitable. However, the Despicable Me franchise has remained the crowning jewel for Disney's primary animation rival.

Despicable Me 4 will pick up Gru's story for the first time in seven years, which means there will be a ready and ravenous audience waiting for it at the box office. Assuming that early reviews are full of the typical high praise the Despicable Me movies receive, the franchise is almost guaranteed to break the $5 billion threshold, which would make it the first animated franchise to ever hit that milestone. The sequel is all but certain to be a massive box office hit for Will Ferrell, and one he sorely needs.

Despicable Me 4's Success Will Redeem Will Ferrell's Voice Role Box Office After 2023's Strays

His most recent voice actor role was a critical and box office disaster.

Will Ferrell's last major role as a voice actor was the raunchy live action movie Strays, which featured Ferrell in the starring role with an all-star cast of voice actors around him, all voicing real dogs. The R-rated nature of the adult comedy certainly limited the scope of its box office potential, but poor reviews and an uncertain premise led to it being an utter failure. It grossed only $36 million overall, a full $10 million less than its total budget of $46 million.

The star-studded cast of Strays also featured Will Forte, Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher, Randall Park, Rob Riggle, Josh Gad and Sofia Vergara.

Despicable Me 4 would represent a significant pendulum swing back in the right direction for Ferrell as a voice actor, although he is coming off some recent success as a live action actor. He had a featured role in the box office-breaking Barbie in 2023, and prior to that, starred in the holiday hit with Ryan Reynolds, Spirited. His role in Despicable Me 4 would keep his star power burning as brightly as ever given its near-certain level of success.

Despicable Me 4 Can Steal A Huge Will Ferrell Box Office Record From The Lego Movie After 10 Years

Ferrell has a number of hit voice acting roles, led by The Lego Movie.

Will Ferrell has a long history as both a live action and voice actor, with plenty of box office successes to his name. Prior to Strays, Ferrell's most significant and profitable voice acting role was the 2014 megahit The Lego Movie and its sequel, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. Ferrell also played the primary villain in those movies, as the hilarious and over-the-top President Business, so he has the experience to make his Despicable Me 4 role memorable.

The Lego Movie remains Ferrell's top-grossing voice actor role, as it made $468.1 million on a budget of $65 million. The sequel was far less profitable, but was still considered a box office success. Despicable Me 4 should shatter Ferrell's personal box office record, as it's currently projected to fall in line with its two predecessors with over $900 million.