Despicable Me 4's Mega Minions Explained: Powers, Origin, & Future
Despicable Me 4 introduces a new type of Minion, and this is everything known about the Mega Minions' origin, powers, and future. The Despicable Me movies have always kept Gru's yellow, lovable sidekicks around in prominent roles. After headlining two prequels about the Minions' past, Despicable Me 4 returns the focus to Gru and the Minions. Only this time, the usual group of Minions expands thanks to different storylines. Phil, Ralph, and Ron are the main trio who accompany Gru in witness protection, leaving the rest of the Minions to join the Anti-Villain League.
The Minions' subplot in Despicable Me 4 is used to introduce a new group of superpowered beings known as Mega Minions. They are mighty Minions who each have unique powers and are very different from the rest of the group. They ultimately play a pivotal role in Despicable Me 4's ending and the defeat of Maxime Le Mal. With the movie introducing the powerful Mega Minions and leaving the door open for more adventures, the characters' origin, powers, and future are worth exploring.
The Anti-Villain League Creates The Mega Minions With Super Serum
The Mega Minions are not a completely organic sub-species of Minions that have only just been discovered. The Anti-Villain League spent time developing a super serum to help make better and stronger agents. The purpose of the serum's enhanced agents is to give the AVL more options against powerful Despicable Me villains that could return or new ones who could emerge. Instead of testing the serum out on humans, Silas tests out the capability on the Minions, as the scientists are not sure if it will grant powers or kill the test subjects.
This process means that there is a limited number of Mega Minions. They are created by the Anti-Villain League after each Minion is placed in an individual pod and the super serum is injected into them. The first round of Mega Minions proved to be a success, as each Minion who volunteered to participate wound up getting powers. It is unknown if the Mega Minions' powers are permanent or if they will fade over time. But since the Mega Minions are created using the AVL's super serum, it would take more tests to make more versions.
How Many Mega Minions There Are In Despicable Me 4 & Who They Are
There are five Mega Minions in Despicable Me 4. Silas asks for volunteers among the dozens of Minions at the AVL headquarters when looking for the first potential Mega Minions. The first wave of "volunteers" comes as the rest of the Minions step back as Silas asks for the strongest, bravest, and best of them to participate. There are only five pods to create the Mega Minions, and several of them are destroyed through the transformation process. This left the AVL without the immediate ability to create more Mega Minions after the first five proved to be successful.
The five Mega Minions in Despicable Me 4 come from a mixture of characters from previous movies and new ones just introduced. Dave, Mel, Gus, Jerry, and Tim are the names of the five Mega Minions. Dave is one of the franchise's original Minions and has appeared in every film. Tim is also one of the original Minions, having appeared in every movie except for Minions. Mel was introduced in Despicable Me 3. Meanwhile, Gus and Jerry are new Minions who have their first appearances in Despicable Me 4. They all become popular among the other Minions after their transformation.
Each Mega Minion's Powers In Despicable Me 4
The Mega Minions have powers that are unique to each one in Despicable Me 4. Dave is the first to emerge with his Mega Minions powers, and he is given the ability of super strength, easily tearing through the metal transformation pod. His body and arms become much bigger than the average Minion. Mel is the second Mega Minion to emerge, as his laser eye cuts through his pod. His laser vision produces a red beam that can cut through anything. Tim's Mega Minion power is elasticity, with his body becoming taller and thinner than the usual Minion.
The fourth Mega Minion to emerge is Jerry. His appearance changes to resemble a rock, with his body becoming more rounded, hard, and cracked. Jerry's powers range from a tough exterior to being able to eat anything. He can also roll around with his new body. Gus is the final Mega Minion to get his powers. He has the power of flight, with his appearance changing to give him a cone-shaped head. All the Mega Minions, except Jerry, wear yellow spandex underneath their overalls to cover their regular yellow skin.
| Mega Minion Name | Mega Minion Power |
|---|---|
| Dave | Super Strength |
| Mel | Laser Vision |
| Tim | Elasticity |
| Jerry | Rock Exterior |
| Gus | Flight |
The Mega Minions' powers in Despicable Me 4 are loosely inspired by the Fantastic Four from Marvel Comics, according to co-director Chris Renaud. He told EW that the team's powers inspired the Mega Minions because "the visual and graphic sensibility of those powers really lent themselves to the Minions." Jerry's rock powers are similar to The Thing, while Tim's elastic powers are like Mr. Fantastic. The Mega Minions don't copy Invisible Woman or Human Torch's powers. Mel's powers resemble the X-Men hero Cyclops, while Dave's super strength and Gus' flight are comparable to many Marvel heroes.
The Mega Minions' Future After Despicable Me 4 Explained
Illumination has not confirmed what the Mega Minions' future is after Despicable Me 4, but it could be bright. A video parodying the Marvel Cinematic Universe's slate joked about a Mega Minions spinoff movie being in development. After the characters' debut in Despicable Me 4, that joke could become a reality before too long. The superhero-like Minions have great potential to headline a spinoff movie or take the franchise in a different direction with Minions 3. The odds of either happening could increase thanks to Despicable Me 4's box office performance.
Since the Mega Minions have relatively small roles in Despicable Me 4, there is plenty of room for the characters to grow in future installments. This could happen in a Mega Minions movie, Minions 3, or even if Despicable Me 5 happens. There is even the potential that Dave, Mel, Gus, Jerry, and Tim will not be the only Mega Minions to exist in possible sequels or spinoffs. The Anti-Villain League could look to create even more of them after Despicable Me 4, so even more powerful versions of the Mega Minions could appear now.
