Will Ferrell’s new role in the upcoming Despicable Me 4 is a reminder to watch another of the comedy star’s previous high-rated projects. The next installment in the popular supervillain series, the upcoming Despicable Me 4 is set to continue exploring the misadventures of Gru, his family, and the minions. Most of the cast from the previous Despicable Me movies are set to return, with Will Ferrell taking on the role of Maxime Le Mal, the new antagonist in the franchise.

Ferrell is usually in his element when he takes on villain roles, which makes his casting as Maxime Le Mal in Despicable Me 4 seem like a perfect choice. Ferrell’s villain filmography includes his role as the Mattel CEO in Barbie, Jacobim Mugatu in Zoolander, and President Business in The Lego Movie. The trailer for Despicable Me 4 hinted that Ferrell might be just as hilarious in his portrayal of Maxime Le Mal as he was in his 2010 movie, which has clear thematic connections to Despicable Me.

Will Ferrell Played A Supervillain 14 Years Before Despicable Me 4 In Megamind

Megamind Became A Cult Classic

Before taking on the role of Maxime Le Mal, Ferrell voiced Megamind, the brilliant supervillain who later turned into a hero. The comedian seemed perfectly suited to playing Megamind and his comedic timing and flair added to the appeal of the character. Despite Megamind not being a resounding box office success, the movie has become a cult classic, largely thanks to Ferrell’s performance as the supervillain.

14 years on from Megamind‘s release, Ferrell will once again explore his villainous side in Despicable Me 4 as Maxime Le Mal. The Despicable Me 4 trailer reveals a few key details about Ferrell’s new character. According to the trailer, Le Mal escaped prison to exact revenge on Gru, hinting that he has a history with the former supervillain. The Despicable Me 4 trailer does not disclose exactly why Le Mal is hunting Gru down, but there could be many reasons given Gru’s past as a villain who later changed his ways.

Megamind Proves How Great Will Ferrell’s Despicable Me 4 Villain Can Be

He’s Previously Proved Successful

Will Ferrell’s performance as Megamind proves that he has a knack for playing compelling villains. Ferrell seemed to have fun playing Megamind and that translated into the movie. His portrayal of the titular character was the perfect blend of comedy and drama, something which he might bring to his role as Maxime Le Mal. Unfortunately, Ferrell is absent from Megamind 2, which ultimately hurt the franchise because audiences had come to associate him with the popular villain.

Although there were several reasons why Megamind 2 had a low Rotten Tomatoes score, Will Ferrell’s absence from the sequel did not do the movie any favors. Ferrell’s star power and the quirkiness he brought to the character were some of the reasons Megamind became so popular in the first place. Seeing as Maxime Le Mal and Megamind seem to have similar characteristics, it will be interesting to see how Ferrell will add something fresh to Despicable Me 4’s new supervillain.