Why Megamind 2 Was a Complete Failure

DreamWorks Animation has produced some iconic animated films over the last twenty years. The Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon franchises are among the most recognizable properties in modern animation. They have also produced countless successful one-off movies, with 2010’s Megamind as a prime example.

The Will Ferrell-starring flick followed the titular supervillain in his attempt to create a more powerful hero to fight. While it was a critical success, it didn’t perform so well at the box office, grossing only $322 million on a $130 million budget, one of DreamWorks’ lowest-grossing films of the 2010s. Like many DreamWorks titles, it developed a cult following that persisted through endless internet memes. So why was this movie never given the sequel treatment until now?

If you haven’t heard, a Megamind sequel, titled Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate, was released this month on Peacock with almost no promotion. While not one of their most successful films, DreamWorks could have turned this movie into a franchise if they’d acted a little sooner. So what went wrong? Why were franchises like Shrek and Kung Fu Panda able to succeed while Megamind faltered? Let’s look at what we know and what DreamWorks could have done differently.

Why the Megamind Sequel Took So Long to Release

Megamind first hit theaters on Nov. 5, 2010, as DreamWorks’ 22nd feature film. It boasted a stacked cast, with Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, David Cross, J.K. Simmons, and Ben Stiller, among others, providing voice work. Though it was a critical and audience success, it wasn’t able to translate that success into box office returns. Megamind was one of the lowest-grossing DreamWorks films of the 2010s. Since it didn’t scream “instant hit” like other properties did, a sequel was not at the top of DreamWorks’ priorities, leading to a long wait for the sequel. If they could see how the movie lives on today in the world of memes, maybe they would have changed their tune.

In 2022, plans for a sequel were finally announced (sort of). A Megamind TV series for Peacock tentatively titled Megamind’s Guide to Defending Your City was revealed to be in development. However, we heard very little past that initial announcement. As recently as last October, there was almost no sequel information. Finally, in February 2024, fans’ prayers were answered when DreamWorks unveiled a full Megamind sequel film. But that excitement didn’t last long.

Megamind 2 Made Too Many Mistakes

Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate was released on Mar. 1, 2024, on Peacock. It dropped alongside the first season of the TV series, now titled Megamind Rules!. Keep in mind that this movie was only announced one month earlier. None of the original voice cast returned, with Megamind’s voice now provided by veteran voice actor Keith Ferguson. No disrespect to Ferguson’s craft, but fans rarely react well when any big-name star is replaced for a sequel.

This entire Megamind 2 saga is a master class in what not to do. When the trailer dropped, fans slammed the film for its lower budget, replacement voice actors, animation downgrade, and weak storyline. They also did not appreciate dumping a low-budget sequel to an audience favorite on a streamer with no warning. Things didn’t improve after the release, with the sequel boasting 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Doom Syndicate was not designed to stand on its own; instead, it acted as a pilot for the TV series.

In 2020 and 2021, streamers seemed poised to knock off theaters as the dominant movie-viewing method. To be fair, that almost worked during the time of COVID-19. But post-pandemic, many moviegoers treat straight-to-streaming releases like the old days of straight-to-video. Remember the barrage of low-budget Disney animated sequels in the ’90s? Many of them are not remembered fondly due to the studio not putting as much effort into them. The same is true today of straight-to-streaming (with some exceptions, of course), as bypassing theaters entirely does not inspire confidence. However, anything is better than deleting a completed movie from existence.

Megamind Could Have Been a Successful Franchise

With the proper attention and care, DreamWorks could have built Megamind into a franchise like Shrek, which is preparing to release its fifth installment, or Kung Fu Panda, which recently saw a fourth film hit theaters. Look at how they approached those sequels. Each original movie released a sequel within two or three years after the original (a fast timeline by CG animation standards). The sequels were theatrically released with the same cast, capitalizing on success while interest was still fresh. The studios maintained that success for an additional two to three sequels over the coming decades.

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Compare that to Megamind. Sure, it wasn’t as financially successful, but it was still well-received by fans. Shrek 2 and Kung Fu Panda 2 both grossed more than the original, so it’s possible that Megamind could have seen that same increase. Interest would grow as the franchise developed. It would also show the fans that DreamWorks is serious about their commitment to the titular blue supervillain. Instead, they likely only looked at the box office returns before waiting 14 years to throw away a cheap, unannounced “sequel” on a streamer. Predictably, that did not sit well with the fans. Maybe they finally noticed all the memes and wanted to capitalize on them without blowing a theatrical release budget. However, as we all saw with the failure of Morbius, internet memes do not equate to success.

Fans still love the original Megamind, and DreamWorks had a hit on their hands. We could have seen Megamind 2, 3, and 4 over the last decade. Audience love could have been kept alive by something other than the memes. But DreamWorks didn’t see the potential, and a shoddy sequel is now too little, too late. The original Megamind is available to rent on Prime Video, iTunes, and YouTube, while Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate is streaming on Peacock.