Where Can I Watch theDespicable MeMovies? How to Stream the Animated Franchise in Chronological Order (Plus When We'll See the Minions Next!)

Mar. 15, 2025

Gru and Minions in ‘Despicable Me 2’ (2013).Photo:llumination/Kobal/Shutterstock

llumination/Kobal/Shutterstock

Gruand his lovable yetchaotic Minionshave been household names for over a decade. The first film, which debuted in July 2010, has led to an entire franchise of movies, spinoffs, short films, video games and even theme park attractions.

The films have not only attracted more big names to the cast — likeKristen Wiig,Will Ferrell,Stephen ColbertandSofía Vergara— but also broken some records.Despicable Me 4,the latest installment,earned $88 millionduring its theatrical release in July 2024.Varietyreported that those earnings made it the first animated franchise to gross over $5 billion — a levelonly 14 other franchiseshave reached.

Even though he’s the protagonist, Gru is far from the main character. His loyal (and often misguided) Minions have become breakout stars of their own movies. Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment released two successfulMinionsspinoff filmsand most recently, announced that a third movie would hit the big screen in June 2027.

Looking to catch up on Gru and Minions’ hilarious misadventures? Here’s how to watch and where to stream every movie in theDespicable Mefranchise in chronological order.

Minions

A minion in the movie ‘Minions’ (2015).Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures

Before they found Gru, the Minions had served many evil masters — but they were historically bad at keeping them alive. Set as a prequel to the originalDespicable Memovie,Minionsfollows Kevin, Stuart and Bob as they venture to New York City to find their next villainous leader.

Minionsis available to stream onNetflix.

Minions: The Rise of Gru

Gru and Minions in ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ (2022).Illumination

Minions: The Rise of Gruis both a sequel toMinionsand a prequel toDespicable Me. Carell reprises his role as Gru in the 2022 film along with Coffin,Taraji P. Henson,Michelle Yeoh,Julie AndrewsandRussell Brand.

Minions: The Rise of Gruis available to stream onAmazon Prime Video.

Despicable Me

Steve Carell as the voice of Gru in ‘Despicable Me’ (2010).Universal Pictures

Audiences were introduced to Gru and his gang of Minions in 2010 with the franchise’s first film,Despicable Me.

It tells the story of a supervillain and criminal mastermind who adopts three orphaned girls — Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Elsie Fisher) — as part of a massive scheme to steal the moon. But when they start to see him as a father figure, Gru must decide between his life of crime and his new role as dad.

Despicable Meis available to stream onNetflix.

Despicable Me 2

Kristen Wig as Lucy Wilde and Steve Carell as Gru in ‘Despicable Me 2’ (2013).Universal Pictures

In this 2013 sequel, Gru has officially retired from villainy and is now a devoted father to Margo, Edith and Agnes. Still, global authorities call upon him for help, and he reluctantly teams up with an undercover agent named Lucy Wilde (Wiig) to identify a mysterious criminal and recover the highly potent chemical agent they stole.

Despicable Me 2features many of the same celebrity voices back in their respective roles and new names, includingKen JeongandBenjamin Bratt. The film received two nominations at the86th Academy Awards.

Despicable Me 2is available to stream onNetflix.

Despicable Me 3

Trey Parker as Balthazar Bratt in ‘Despicable Me 3’ (2017).Universal Pictures

Despicable Me 3, released in 2017, revives the same cast with new additions, likeJenny SlateandTrey Parker. Coffin also returned to direct this film alongside Kyle Balda.

Despicable Me 3is available to stream onTubi.

Despicable Me 4

Minions in ‘Despicable Me 4’ (2024).Illumination

Illumination

Despicable Me 4is available to stream onPeacock.

source: people.com