Since the release ofDespicable Me, Gru’s (Steve Carell)cute yet mischievous ‘Minions’ (voiced by Pierre Coffin)have become a household staple worldwide. Due to the popularity of the characters, it wasn’t long until the Minions got their own movie titledMinionsin 2015, introducing three fan-favorites; Kevin, Stuart and Bob. Each has different personality traits, making them adored by viewers, from Kevin’s serious, protective nature, to Stuart’s laid back, cool demeanor, and Bob’s cute, innocent naivety. The excessive popularity surrounding the characters paints the question of their whereabouts in the latest installment of the franchise,Despicable Me 4.
Although audience members are upset by the apparent absence of the characters, there are many reasons that explain their lack of screen time inDespicable Me 4. Thecomplicated timelines of theDespicable MeandMinionsfilmspossibly played a role, as there’s around a 50-year gap between the two timelines, so it might be difficult to balance their appearances in both timelines. Other reasons could range from an attempt to show other minions away from the three well-known, giving other characters the chance to shine, to the continuity of keeping in line with the ending ofDespicable Me 3.
Despicable Me 4’s Mega Minions Explained: Powers, Origin, & Future
Despicable Me 4 introduces a group of superpowered Minions. Here’s everything known about the Mega Minions' origin, powers, and franchise future.
Kevin, Bob & Stuart Are Seen In Gru’s Backyard During Despicable Me 4’s Ending
The Trio Only Appear At The End Of Despicable Me 4
They did in fact appear in a special cameo towards the end of the film.
Although audience members assumed Kevin, Stuart and Bob were absent fromDespicable Me 4as they didn’t have leading roles, they did in fact appear in a special cameo towards the end of the film. After Gru and his family defeat the new super villain, Maxime (Will Ferrell), they decide to hold a party in the garden around the back of their house. It is here that Kevin, Bob and Stuart finally appear, proving that the animators have not forgotten about the lovable trio, hinting at a possible future for the three characters.
Kevin, Bob, and Stuart weren’t the only characters to make a surprise cameo inDespicable Me 4.In fact, almostevery villain from theDespicable Meuniverse made a surprise appearance. In the fourth installment, Gru decides to make amends with some of his enemies, so he visits the Anti-Villain League Prison, where the audience is faced with a musical number featuring villains like Vector, Scarlet and Herb Overkill, Balthazar Bratt, and El Macho.Although the scene acts more as a slice of nostalgia than a narrative plot point, it’s still satisfying for audiences to watch and re-visit these characters.
Despicable Me 3 Explained Why Kevin, Bob & Stuart Don’t Have Bigger Roles
They Left With Dru, Who Also Isn’t In The Movie Until The End, So It’d Be Weird For Them Appear
At the end ofDespicable Me 3,Gru’s brother, Dru (also voiced by Steve Carell) leaves his family to honor his father’s memory and become an evil super villain. However, he didn’t leave alone.He convinced a handful of the minions (including Kevin, Stuart and Bob) to follow him and assist him with his evil plans. This proved to be Kevin, Stuart and Bob’s happy endings as the 2015 film,Minions,revealed that their life’s purpose was to work for a super villain, so leaving with Dru finally gave them what they wanted, while also respecting the continuity of ‘Minions’.
Their cameo appearance inDespicable Me 4respected this ending for the characters, asDru also made a cameo inDespicable Me 4, standing next to Kevin, Stuart and Bob. This shows that the characters stayed together following the end of the third film, allowing the audience to speculate about the events that happened to the characters between the third and fourth movie. Although the cameo was probably only for nostalgic purposes, it creates hope for another film with Kevin, Stuart and Bob front and center, as it reminds audiences that they are still out there living their lives.
Why Despicable Me 4 Reduces Kevin, Bob & Stuart To Cameos
They’re Now The Leads Of The Minions Movies, So The Main Franchise Can Focus On Other Minions
Kevin, Stuart and Bob only had a cameo inDespicable Me 4as it gave other minions such as Dave, Gus, Tim, Mel and Jerry a chance to shine.
It could be a good thing thatKevin, Stuart, and Bob only had a cameo inDespicable Me 4as it gave other minions such as Dave, Gus, Tim, Mel, and Jerry a chance to shine.These five minions were transformed into beings known as a’mega minions' experiment to give Minions superpowersto help them defeat supervillains. This experiment not only gave them superpowers, it also altered their appearance, something that had already happened to Kevin, as he became a giantto fight Scarlet Overkill, so if Kevin was turned into a ‘mega minion’, it would be repetitive.
Kevin, Stuart and Bob made their first appearance inMinions(2015). They have never had leading roles in aDespicable Memovie.
The introduction of the ‘mega minions’ opens the franchise up to the possibilities of even more spin-off films in the future, which seems like a real possibility following the box-office success ofDespicable Me 4. If they were to make ‘mega minions’ movies, they would focus more on other minions rather than Kevin, Bob, and Stuart, which is good as it expands theDespicable Meuniverse, allows the franchise to live on, and it means that the fan favorite characters of Kevin, Stuart and Bob won’t be overutilized as they already have their own film series, leading the’Minions’films.
