We went to see Despicable Me 4 recently, and it got me thinking about the Despicable Me universe. This isn’t a review, but if you need one, it’s perfectly fine, solid enough family entertainment. My kids and I have a soft spot for the series, and the Minions don’t bother me.
How the heck does the Despicable Me universe work?
But back to the Despicable Me universe. You have supervillains, who operate with seemingly no superheroes to stop them. The villains are so numerous that they have boarding schools dedicated to raising the next generation of evil-doers. These schools are well-known enough that a regular teenager knows about them and plans to attend. The only opposing force for villainy we see is the Anti-Villain League (AVL). It’s a supposedly “covert” agency dedicated to stopping villains. How covert? Check this:
Does, uh, announcing your identity on clothing help with the covert part of your job? -Carol Danvers
Despite the fact that what we would consider traditional supervillains have existed for at least 50+ years, Despicable Me 4 is the first time anyone on the side of good tried granting someone, or rather, some thing, superpowers. The fact that they tested the process on a Minion tells you all you need to know about the AVL. They aren’t completely ineffective, as we see they did manage to keep some villains in prison. Take that, Arkham Asylum!
The Theory
Like many nerds before me with the MCU or DC universe, I tried to imagine what it must be like to live in the Despicable Me universe. I came to the conclusion that the world governments must have come to an agreement with the supervillains in how they can operate. There’s no other explanation as to why there’d be whole villain schools, or villain conventions. There was some inciting incident that led to a back-room deal. As long as the villainous plots involve minimal loss of life, the AVL won’t escalate to mass encarceration.
Gru himself might be the only flaw in this theory. His theft of the moon in the first movie would’ve been a catastrophe. It was reversed almost immediately, and it’s obvious he has a good heart, but I still think that should’ve given the AVL pause about working with him, if such a deal was in place. Lucy falling for Gru and marrying him may have worked in their favor.
All silliness aside, the Despicable Me franchise is one that the kids and I still enjoy. Despicable Me 4 is worth a matinee viewing if you like the theater, or pre-order the Blu-Ray/Digital copy.
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