Despicable Me 4 is back with an action-packed comedy tale. While it brings our favorite former villain, now anti-hero Gru, back to the screens along with his army of banana-loving minions, the viewers are even introduced to a new French supervillain, voiced by Will Ferrell. 

Speaking of his character, the Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy actor has come forward, recalling how he was convinced to play the role of the villain, Maxime Le Mal.

Will Ferrell talks about playing Maxime Le Mal

After defeating many villains in its previous installments, Gru and his team are back in Despicable Me 4 to fight a new name. Maxime Le Mal happens to be the antagonist in the recently released animated fun film. 

The character is introduced as a French supervillain who escapes from prison, forcing Gru and his family to chase him. In this fun-filled spy adventure, the newest villain is voiced by Will Ferrell. While talking to Variety during the New York premiere of the movie, he revealed what made him choose the role. 

During the premiere that took place in the month of June, the Daddy’s Home actor stated that one of the directors of the movie, Chris Renaud, and himself have been figuring out a way to work together for a long time. 

Despicable Me 4 turned out to be the best opportunity for both of them to work on a project, the actor stated. He further expressed what convinced him to play the antagonist in the film, stating, “All I needed to hear was ‘French’ and ‘bad guy.'”

Further talking to the publication, the actor added that now he is typecast as a villain. Ferrell made that statement, referring to his previous role in Barbie, where he was seen as the Mattel CEO villain.

About Despicable Me franchise

The animated franchise has turned out to be a successful one since its inception at Illuminati Studios. While the first entry, which was released in 2010, helped the franchise become a hit, the movies that have been released till now have earned over $4 billion at the global box office, as per reports. 

The last entry, Despicable Me 3, created history by earning over $1 billion and helping the franchise surpass even the Shrek series. 

Despicable Me 4 is directed by Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage. The movie was released in theaters on July 3, 2024.