Despicable Me 4 Director Uses ‘The Simpsons Approach’ in Gru’s Latest Adventure

Despicable Me 4 fans might notice that despite the time lapse since the previous films, Gru, his daughters, and the Minions have not aged a day. The film director Chris Renaud recently shared insights into this creative choice, mirroring a concept familiar to fans of The Simpsons.

During his interview with Deadline, Renaud touched on the decision to keep his characters ageless. The director acknowledged the recurring question about the static age of his characters. This artistic approach has not detracted from the audience’s enjoyment, according to Renaud, who has observed no significant pushback on this issue.

“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?’”

Despicable Me 4 continues the adventures of Gru, voiced by Steve Carell, now facing a new challenge as a villain from his past, Maxime Le Mal (voiced by Will Ferrell), emerges seeking vengeance. This threat forces Gru and his family to relocate, setting the stage for another series of comedic escapades. The decision to keep the characters unchanging is particularly notable given the real-time development between the films’ releases, inviting the audience to focus more on the humor and less on the characters’ personal growth.

Watch Despicable Me 4 trailer below:

Ageless Adventures in Despicable Me 4 Reflect Classic Animation Strategy

Renaud opting to maintain the age of his characters despite significant life events in protagonist Gru’s life—including his marriage to Lucy Wilde and the birth of their son, Gru Jr.—may initially seem perplexing. However, this approach has its roots in a long-standing tradition of animated storytelling best exemplified by The Simpsons, where characters remain perpetually the same age to preserve the show’s dynamics and setting.

Despicable Me 4 continues this trend, keeping Gru and his family in a suspended animation of sorts, which has intriguing implications for the story. By preventing the characters from aging, Renaud allows the narrative to introduce new plots without altering the fundamental relationships and personalities that fans have come to love. This static timeline not only keeps the series accessible to new viewers who may be encountering these characters for the first time but also maintains a sense of continuity for those who have followed Gru’s adventures since the beginning.

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Moreover, this approach offers flexibility in storytelling. While other parts of the franchise, like Minions: The Rise of Gru, explore different timelines, including Gru’s childhood, Despicable Me 4 focuses on maintaining a consistent setting for the characters’ current adventures. This not only simplifies the narrative but also ensures that any future aging or changes to the characters will be a deliberate choice to serve the story, rather than a requirement imposed by the passage of time.