The Despicable Me movies have brought us laughs and warmed our hearts for years. The franchise is based on the story of Gru, a man who dreams of being the world’s greatest supervillain. Gru isn’t alone in his schemes—he has a whole army of little yellow helpers called Minions to carry out his plans.
Before Gru became the lovable dad of his three adopted daughters—Margo, Edith, and Agnes—that we know today, there was a time when he wasn’t so nice. In the earlier Despicable Me movies, Gru was actually a sneaky and dishonest man who would do anything to get ahead. However, we have seen him turn from villain into a super dad, all while the goofy Minions cause trouble in their own unique way.
But here’s a funny thing: even though there have been new movies over a long time, the characters never seem to age. This is because Illumination Studios, the company behind the movies, has decided to keep things this way. Recently, director Chris Renaud announced that the characters in the franchise will not age. This means they’ll stay the same age forever, just like the characters on the long-running show The Simpsons.
Despicable Me Characters Never Aging Explained
Director Chris Renaud explained why the characters in his creation won’t grow older. According to the storyboard artist, fans don’t seem to care about seeing the characters age and deal with grown-up problems. While there could be stories about characters like Margo going to college, he said the team is focused on sticking to what works and keeping things fun. He told Deadline:
It’s funny, it comes up a lot. I don’t think the audience cares. First off, to your point, we could do a story about Margo being 18 and going to college… but we’ve taken a The Simpsons approach that nobody ages. They’re frozen in time. I’ve seen the film with an audience quite a few times and I don’t feel people are coming out and seeing it as an issue, asking, ‘Why didn’t Margo grow up?’
The new Despicable Me movie takes a page out of The Simpsons‘ playbook by not aging the characters. Just like the ever-youthful Springfield crew, Gru and his gang will remain the same age in this latest installment.
However, fans have a different take on this. Check out some fan reactions:
https://twitter.com/rwylmsupporter/status/1806022096558190971
well that’s boring, it would be fun to watch his family grow up
— harv (@harvv) June 26, 2024
That’s not a good idea. It’s more interesting to see characters grow
— Freakzilladark 🇵🇷/🇪🇸 (@freakzilladark) June 26, 2024
Check out some positive comments, too:
https://twitter.com/Amycuutie/status/1806216415885640136
https://twitter.com/th3muse/status/1806118533262143688
Brilliant idea tbh
— Nate, or, Mr H Reviews (@MrHreviews) June 26, 2024
This decision allows the filmmakers to focus on the funny stuff—wacky antics and fantastical situations—without worrying about how time might have changed the characters. As Renaud said, audiences haven’t seemed to mind the lack of aging, and they’re still enjoying the franchise’s signature humor. Of course, some people like to see the characters as they are, but based on the above comments, some do not.
Gru Will Face New Challenges in Despicable Me 4
Gru, the former supervillain turned good man, is returning to the big screen in Despicable Me 4. This time around, he’ll have to deal with his mischievous son, Gru Jr.! The movie, directed by Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage, will see Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) and his family facing a new enemy, Maxime Le Mal (voiced by Will Ferrell), and his girlfriend Valentina (voiced by Sofia Vergara).
They’ll also be joined by some new neighbors, including Poppy (voiced by Joey King) and Perry (voiced by Stephen Colbert).
Despicable Me 4 will be released in theaters on July 5th!
Frequently asked questions
Why don’t Despicable Me characters ever age across the films?
Despicable Me director Chris Renaud confirmed the choice is deliberate, comparing it to the approach used in The Simpsons, where characters stay the same age indefinitely. Renaud said audiences don’t seem interested in watching characters like Margo grow up and deal with adult problems, so Illumination has chosen to keep Gru and his family “frozen in time” across every sequel instead.
How have fans reacted to this decision?
Reactions are mixed. Some fans have called the choice boring, arguing it would be more interesting to watch Gru’s daughters grow up over the course of the franchise. Others have defended the approach as smart, calling it a “brilliant idea” that keeps the focus on comedy and fantastical scenarios rather than the complications of aging characters and changing family dynamics.
What new challenge does Gru face in Despicable Me 4?
In Despicable Me 4, Gru, voiced again by Steve Carell, must contend with his mischievous son Gru Jr. while facing a new adversary, Maxime Le Mal, voiced by Will Ferrell, and his girlfriend Valentina, voiced by Sofía Vergara. New neighbors Poppy and Perry, voiced by Joey King and Stephen Colbert, also join the cast. The film released in theaters on July 3.
