5 Characters That Need to Return for Shrek 5

With an announcement teaser at the end of February 2025 revealing the film’s animation style and Zendaya’s casting as (presumably) Felicia, it’s official: Shrek 5 is on the way. Years of rumors and stalled development cycles have led to this moment, where the unjolly green ogre gets to return to the big screen. Though some have found the new Shrek animation style divisive, it’s almost a certainty that Shrek 5 is going to be one of the biggest movies of 2026 when it arrives at Christmastime that year. Part of that inevitably massive box office haul will be propelled by endless pre-release speculation of what Shrek 5 will look like.

More specifically, folks on the Internet are already speculating on what characters from the previous entries in this saga need to come back for Shrek 5. With that in mind, let’s look at five characters from previous Shrek installments that desperately need to return for the next evolution in the greatest fairy tale never told.

Lord Farquaad

Yes, Lord Farquaad was gobbled up by Dragon back in the original Shrek, but if David Arquette can come back as Dewey in Scream 7 after the character’s obvious demise in the fifth Scream, why can’t Farquaad get resurrected for Shrek 5? Plus, Farquaad’s ability to endure past that very public demise was already made clear in the Universal Parks attraction Shrek 4D. On top of all that, Shrek 5 is very clearly going to be a very nostalgic exercise leaning heavily on affection for the earliest Shrek installments. What better way to solidify that ambition than by bringing back Farquaad after all these years, especially since his voice actor (John Lithgow) is on everyone’s minds again after his work in Conclave?

Snow White and the Other Princesses

Lump this gaggle of ladies as one “character,” since it’s high time Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Rapunzel from Shrek the Third got a shot at redemption. Not only did they only prominently appear in the franchise’s most disappointing movie, but these princesses had no fun personalities to speak of. Shrek 5 could not only offer a chance at redemption for these gals but also a shot at making new jokes based on post-2010 pop culture developments. After all, attributes people now associate with the live-action Disney remake versions of these princesses could get skewered in the Shrek universe.

[RELATED: Shrek 5 May Be Ignoring Some of the Sequels (And Fans Are Super Confused)]

Donkey’s Owner A.K.A. The Old Woman

That woman who first owned Donkey at the start of Shrek is a mysterious figure even to the most dedicated of Shrek fans. Only known as The Old Woman in Shrek canon, all that’s clear about this figure is that she was really done with living with chatterbox Donkey. Years later, and now that Donkey’s proven himself an iconic hero on multiple occasions, maybe it’s time for The Old Woman to return. She could get a new character design, some more backstory, and even an official name. While other Shrek 5 supporting characters would be building on previous instances of lengthy screentime, The Old Woman’s potential Shrek 5 return could finally give Shrek devotees some information on this vaguely-defined individual.

The Big Bad Wolf

Now that another wolf has taken on an iconic stature in the Shrek franchise in the form of Death in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, there may be an inclination to leave The Big Bad Wolf behind in the Shrek saga’s past. However, if Pinocchio’s appearance in the Shrek 5 announcement teaser is any indication, the goofy fairy tale supporting characters of past Shrek installments are returning for this sequel. It’d be a shame to leave this character behind even if another more vividly animated wolf has surpassed him as everyone’s favorite Shrek canis lupus. So long as this Big Bad Wolf isn’t dropping any more weird transphobic jokes, he’d be a welcome returning member to Shrek 5.

Perrito

Though technically introduced in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, the mid-credits scene of that movie indicated Perrito, Puss, and Kitty Softpaws were all headed to Far Far Away to reunite with Shrek and friends. It’d be a shame to not follow that tease up and leave fan-favorite supporting character Perrito in the dust. After all, he’s a favorite of the new generation of Shrek fans. Shrek 5 can’t just appeal to nostalgic folks from the 2000s, it must always resonate with viewers who fell in love with this saga through The Last Wish. Plus, it’d be fun to see Donkey contend with another talking animal sidekick given his initial hostility to Puss in Boots in Shrek 2.

What characters fo you want to see in Shrek 5? Let us know in the comments below!