What Happened To Vector After Despicable Me? (2024)

Despicable Me took the world by storm in 2010, proving that new animation studios could emerge from the shadows and release successful projects worthy of sharing the spotlight with juggernauts like Disney and Pixar. Illumination Entertainment might be a staple of the industry in 2024, but its existence was a complete mystery to anyone before its roaring success with Despicable Me. Since then, the studio has been on an upward journey, and it's clear why.

Although most fans gravitated towards the film's iconic minions or the heart at the center of the goofy plot, others were drawn to Jason Segel's infectious and surprisingly complicated supervillain antagonist, Vector. The orange jumpsuit-clad, bespectacled villain walked the line between incompetent goofball and genuinely intimidating foe so expertly that fans have been clamoring for more. But the fate of the beloved villain has been left someone up in the air since this initial entry in the franchise, leaving fans to wonder if they've truly lost him for good or if there's still a shot in the dark that he could make a triumphant return in a future chapter of the growing Despicable Me franchise.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on May 30, 2024: With Despicable Me 4introducing Will Ferrell's new bad guy, Maxime Le Mal, fans are looking back at the franchise's original (and best) villain, Vector. What happened to Jason Segal's antics-apt antagonist, and will he ever return to the Despicable Me franchise?

Vector's Rise to Villainous Fame in Despicable Me

• Vector's wealthy inheritance acts as a foil to Gru's life of poverty and the working-class nature of his craft.

When audiences are first introduced to Vector, Gru is visiting the ominous Bank of Evil, requesting a loan for his forthcoming moon heist. Here, he finds the imposing Mr. Perkins, President of the Bank of Evil and father to Gru's latest competitor: Vector Perkins. Vector is quick to pitch a slew of his proudest achievements to Gru, including his iconic and often-referenced Piranha Gun. It becomes clear from this point that Vector has been blessed by his family's fortune and has no idea how to spend his immense money. Even his attempts at villainy seem futile at this point, and his validity as an imposing foe is fairly questioned.

As the film develops, however, audiences get a real look at just how intimidating Vector can be. While he still stumbles and seems in over his head with technology, Vector's wealth provides him with an impressive array of gadgetry that he uses to successfully work towards beating Gru to stealing the moon. As the film reaches its climax and Gru ends his character arc, Vector is forced to pay the price for his transgressions, resulting in him being stranded on the moon he once sought to steal.

This tragic fate is, of course, treated as a joke, and it is here that fans last see the villain, dancing on the moon with a pair of minions stranded with him. Since 2010, this has been the last canonical appearance of Vector, and it was beginning to seem that it might be the very last. After all, two subsequent Despicable Me films and two Minions spin-offs neglected to mention the character. The odds were slim that, after all this time, Illumination would revisit Vector and his plight, but those odds were put to rest in 2023 with the release of Migration and the attached short film Mooned.

The Fate of Vector Is Revealed in A Short Film Attached to Illumination's Migration

• Jason Segel reprises his role as the legendary villain in Mooned.

The release of 2023's Migration came with the attached short film Mooned, an original Despicable Me story chronicling what Vector has been up to all this time. While this excited fans of the character -- especially with the knowledge of Jason Segel's involvement -- some fans were disappointed to find out that the short was almost entirely comical and provided no massive plot developments. Instead, the story places him further away from Earth and, potentially, from a formal return to the franchise.

At the very least, the short does provide answers as to what Vector has been keeping busy with, even if the end result might not be the fate his adoring fans were rooting for. Vector spends most of the short attempting to escape his captivity alongside his minion castaway friends, all of his attempts proving futile. This comedic routine of karma continues until Vector's plans eventually backfire and send him several hundred miles from the moon in the opposite direction of Earth, landing him on Mars with nothing but his underwear to his name. He might be one of the franchise's greatest villains, but he's not without his flaws.

For many Vector fans, this quenched their thirst for more Vector content. They got their beloved supervillain back, at least for a bit, and got the opportunity to laugh at his misfortune again and hear lines expertly delivered by the talented Jason Segel. But this leaves more to be desired, and as the Despicable Me franchise powers on, fans are left with more questions than before Mooned was released. While the franchise has understandably grown to incorporate other charming and entertaining villains, there remains a desire for an overarching franchise villain, and many are rooting for Vector to take that place.

What Comes Next For the Iconic Villain Is Up in the Air

• Despicable Me 4 is set to be released on July 3, 2024.

These aspirations for a character rebirth for Vector have led to countless hopes for an eventual returning foe that Gru must face with his new allies and gadgets. As interesting as this would be, and as much of a full-circle moment as it would provide for the franchise that seems to be moving forward and evolving instead of reflecting on its past, this seems unlikely. Although the fourth film in the mainline Despicable Me franchise is only a matter of months away, there is no sign of Vector's involvement from what little fans know about the film.

At the end of the day, Mooned might be the piece of closure Vector fans need to grasp most tightly. It is a crying shame to leave such a well-crafted character on the wayside, but it seems to be the fate Illumination has chosen for him. As much as it pains audiences to admit, the franchise deserves new villains instead of retreads. Were Vector to return, it could sacrifice the cinematic gravitas of new antagonists, leaving the franchise in a rut it might never escape. While continuing to release Despicable Me films is, by nature, a safe bet for the company, Illumination would be smartest to mix things up, introducing new characters to the universe instead of dwelling on the past.

Still, the concept of a revenge-hungry, born-again Vector is a promising premise that could leave Gru wrestling with his unorthodox approach to heroism. It would be a choice that could come off as fan service. Still, it could also be hugely satisfying from a narrative perspective, reaffirming Gru's growth throughout the franchise and acting as a pretty bow on top of a franchise that deserves more praise for its commitment to compact storytelling. While the comedic charm of Despicable Me is what sold it out of the gate, the heartfelt storytelling at the franchise's core has allowed it to be an industry staple. Crafting Vector into a more complex villain ready for another go at the untouchable Gru and his conniving minions might be the cherry on top that the franchise needs if only it can commit to it.

Vector Is Still The Best Bad Guy In The Despicable Me Films

In a franchise starring a villain-turned-hero, there are plenty of great antagonists in Despicable Me. From El Macho in the second film to Balthazar Bratt and Dru in the third, Gru has gone up against plenty of colorful baddies. Even the Minions have taken on supervillains like Scarlet Overkill and Belle Bottom. Even so, none of the sequels' or spinoffs' villains have been able to overtake Vector as the franchise's best antagonist. The nerdy genius still represents the greatest threat to Gru since the franchise began, forcing him to go further than he ever had before to save the three girls he'd come to love.

Now, Gru and the minions face a new nemesis in Despicable Me 4 in the form of Will Ferrell's Maxime La Mal. One can only hope Ferrell's comedic genius and chemistry with Steve Carell will propel this new villain into a more memorable role than some of the preceding antagonists. Despicable Me 4 needs to make its main antagonist stand out in a franchise laden with villains, just as Vector did in the original film.

While Vector may not be returning to Despicable Me anytime soon, his departure paves the way for other memorable villains to take his place. Even so, some fans can't help but hope Vector could return as the main antagonist of a future film in the beloved animated franchise.

Despicable Me (2010)

PG

Adventure

Comedy

Where to Watch

*Availability in US

• stream
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When a criminal mastermind uses a trio of orphan girls as pawns for a grand scheme, he finds their love is profoundly changing him for the better.

Release Date

June 9, 2010

Director

Chris Renaud , Pierre Coffin

Cast

Steve Carell , Jason Segel , Miranda Cosgrove , Russell Brand , Julie Andrews , Kristen Wiig

Runtime

1 hour 35 minutes

Main Genre

Animation