There are many choices when picking the ideal movie to watch alone or with the kids if you have some. Perhaps you’re thinking about a Marvel or Disney film you enjoyed as a child.
However, I think there’s one series that stands out among other modern-day releases, and that’s Despicable Me and it’s best to watch the Despicable Me movies in order of release.
Since the 2010 release of the first installment, a wide range of audiences of different ages can’t seem to get enough of the evil villain Gru, his daughters, his wife Lucy Wilde, and his loyal minions.
The despicable me movie series, which debuted in 2010, kick-starts when the minions meet Gru, an eight-year-old.
Minions: The Rise of Gru, the most recent addition to the Despicable Me series, is based on the 1972 timeline showing Gru’s origins with the minions by his side; another despicable me movie is expected to be released on July 3, 2024, according to reports.
How Many Despicable Me Movies are there?
The Despicable Me movies are a bunch of humorous, action-packed films geared toward younger children.
That doesn’t mean the flick’s countless fart jokes, heartwarming character interactions, and inventive use of minionese can’t draw in the entire family.
That being said, here is a complete list of the 5 Despicable Me main movies in order and sequence of release to binge-watch:
- Despicable Me 3 (2017)
- Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)
- Despicable Me (2010)
- Despicable Me 2 (2013)
- Minions (2015)
The Despicable Me brand has expanded over the years beyond its five separate feature films to several short films and computer games, as well as an attraction at the Universal Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida.
There is an abundance of Minions items on the market, and one can hardly go shopping for clothing without seeing a Minion’s bright yellow face staring back at you from the aisles.
The short films released include:
- Home Makeover (2010)
- Orientation Day (2010)
- Banana (2010)
- Puppy (2013)
- Panic in the Mailroom (2013)
- Training Wheels
- Binky Nelson Unpacified (2015)
- Competition (2015)
- Cro Minion (2015)
- Mower Minion (2016)
- The Secret Life of Kyle (2017)
- Yellow is the New Black (2018)
- Santana’s Little Helper’s (2019)
- Minions Scouts (2019)
- Minion Monsters (2021)
- Post Modern Minions (2022)
The Minions also have a web series that kick-started on June 9, 2021, on Instagram and Facebook, and so far, the series has been dropped on Saturdays.
In 2020 the Minions Special aired on NBC; it comprised a compilation of various minion short films, all of which are available for your watching pleasure.
If you are excited and wouldn’t want to miss out on the fun, you can watch the Despicable Me films chronologically or in order of their release dates, depending on your preference.
Here’s a sneak peek at what to expect from the OG Despicable Me Movies in Order of release.
Despicable Me Movies in Order of Release
1. Despicable Me (2010)
- Cast: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Miranda Cosgrove, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Julie Andrews.
- Runtime; 95 minutes
The 2010 release is first on our list of Despicable Me movies in order. Gru, a budding supervillain, decides to make an even grander plan to steal the Moon after learning that his rival outperformed him with his most recent robbery. He meets three orphans and adopts them at first, only to utilize them in his nefarious scheme.
Over time, as Gru and the three girls spend more fond moments increasingly together, he realizes that being a supervillain isn’t all that he can do; he also makes an excellent parent.
Find out if there is still time for Gru to strike a balance between his desire to do evil and his affection for his daughters.
2. Despicable Me 2 (2013)
- Cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, Ken Jeong.
- Runtime: 98 minutes
Next on our list of Despicable Me movies in order is the 2013 sequel. Gru discovers that a mysterious criminal stole valuable scientific equipment from an Arctic facility as he settles into a calm life as a father.
An Anti-Villain League agent named Lucy Wilde gets in touch with Gru and begs him to go undercover to assist her in identifying the burglar.
While Gru and Lucy collaborate to expose evil, the villain kidnaps Gru’s minions and transforms them into purple monsters.
You’ll be left wondering who the real villain is and what he’s accomplishing with his mutant minions in Despicable Me 2.
3. Minions (2015)
- Cast: Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, Steve Coogan, Jennifer Saunders, Pierre Coffin, Geoffrey Rush
- Runtime: 91 minutes
We eventually get answers to our burning questions regarding minions in this spin-off once the movie gets underway.
Sticking closely to the arrangement of the Despicable Me movies in order, you will inevitably learn about the origin story of the minions. According to the plot, minions have existed to serve one master since the very beginning.
Time travel to 1968, the minions have worked for countless evil geniuses, supervillains, and recognizable monsters, but they are currently without a leader.
To find their ultimate ‘boss,’ three minions decide to set out on a global tour. Kevin, Bob, and Stewart wind up at VillainCon, realizing they weren’t ready for what they stepped into, having gotten there.
4. Despicable Me 3 (2017)
- Cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Trey Parker, Pierre Coffin, Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Coogan, Jenny Slate, Dana Gaier, Nev Scharrel, Julie Andrews.
- Runtime; 90 minutes
After failing to apprehend the villainous former child star Balthazar Bratt, Gru receives a shocker when he is laid off from the Anti-Villain League.
He gets another surprise while still recovering from losing his job and identity forever. It turns out that Dru, Gru’s twin, is interested in picking his brain about the criminal underworld.
Gru struggles to adjust to the significant changes in his life, as Lucy strains to become a mother and the minions leave Gru behind in pursuit of a new evil boss.
Together, Gru and Dru must end Bratt’s dirty dealings. Can the two put aside their differences to prosecute Bratt in this fourth installment of the Despicable Me movies in order of release?
5. Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)
- Cast: Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, RZA, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Julie Andrews, Alan Arkin
- Runtime: 87 minutes
Last on our list of the Despicable Me Movies in order of Release is the latest addition to the franchise. Our inquiries concerning Gru’s past, like when Gru and the minions first met and how he established himself as a supervillain all those years, are swiftly addressed in this spin-off “Minions: The Rise of Gru.”
The plot opens in 1972 when Gru is twelve years old, and with the help of his new minions, he starts looking for a group of villains to join, so he can grasp the techniques of villainy and fulfill his lifelong ambition of being a supervillain.
However, the ex-leader of the local gang known as the Vicious 6 kidnaps Gru after his unsuccessful tryout to join them. Can Gru be rescued from his confinement by Kevin, Bob, Stewart, and Otto?
