Picture the scene. It’s 14 years on from the release of DreamWorks’ Megamind, which might’ve been overshadowed by the similarly themed Despicable Me at the time but has gone to become a passionate cult favorite, and the trailer for the long-awaited sequel has finally arrived. Megamind mega-fans the world over excitedly click play only for their faces to fall within seconds. Why? Because Will Ferrell is nowhere to be heard.
Yes, in what is surely the biggest atrocity to hit Metrocity in this franchise, Will Ferrell is not reprising his beloved blue-headed role in either streaming sequel Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate or spinoff TV series Megamind Rules!, both of which will premiere on Peacock on Mar. 1, 2024. While the new actor does a decent job of sounding like the comedy legend, fans have spent too many years turning Megamind into memes not to recognize Ferrell when they hear him. So who is this new Megamind that folks seem to mind so much?
Who plays Megamind in the Peacock spinoffs and why isn’t Will Ferrell returning?
The one playing the title character in both Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate and Megamind Rules! is voice actor Keith Ferguson. The Robot Chicken alum is known in the industry for his incredible impression skills and is often hired as an A-lister soundalike for franchise spinoffs, such as subbing Owen Wilson in Cars short Mater’s Tall Tales or replacing Harrison Ford as Han Solo in The LEGO Movie. So it’s no surprise that he also does a strong impression of Ferrell, even if hardcore Megamind-ers noticed the difference.
It’s also not much of a surprise to discover that none of the original film’s cast will be returning for this expansion of the Megamind universe. Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, and Brad Pitt were all a part of the first movie, but while Hill and Pratt’s characters are absent this time around, Fey is replaced as Megamind’s love interest Roxanne Ritchi by Laura Post (LEGO Marvel’s Avengers: Code Red). Other new cast members include Josh Brener, Maya Aoki Tuttle, Talon Warburton, Scott Adsit, Tony Hale, and Adam Lambert.
As for why Ferrell, and Fey, didn’t return for more Megamind, it’s possible scheduling conflicts arose, as the actor is currently shooting You’re Cordially Invited opposite Reese Witherspoon and, ironically, has switched teams to voice a character in Despicable Me 4. Maybe he couldn’t commit to recording his lines for both the new film and a new TV show, so DreamWorks elected to recast.
Honestly, though, it may also be a question of budget. As Peacock exclusives, these projects would likely have much-reduced budgets than the theatrically released original and may not have been able to afford talent of Ferrell and Fey’s stature. Unfortunately, the lack of the OG cast’s involvement has led to a largely muted reaction to this Megamind-verse, something that fans had actually been waiting years for, but for those still intrigued, you can return to Metrocity — I mean, Metro City come March 1.
