Shrek 5: 5 Characters We Hope Make A Return (& 5 We Don’t)

The actual plot and specific details regarding a Shrek reboot remain a mystery to audiences awaiting news regarding the beloved franchise’s next film. Rumors have entertained everything from the idea that the film isn’t happening at all, to it will focus on Shrek’s family, and that it will completely reform the Shrek universe.

While fans don’t know anything solid just yet, they are speculating about which characters might return and which ones have really run their course in the franchise. With a fifth movie on the horizon, any returning characters in the project must be compelling enough to move the story forward.

10 Return: Fiona

Obviously, Shrek will have to return. The entire series is named after the grumpy, smelly ogre. But what about the love of his life, Fiona? She should obviously be by his side, and after witnessing her kick butt and take names without his assistance in Shrek Forever After, it’s clearer than ever that she should have more adventures of her own.

The only thing is, Cameron Diaz, who voices the awesome princess, has since retired from acting. Will she reemerge if offered the project? Will Fiona remain in the series with a new voice? Perhaps Diaz will return this one time, especially since voice actors have more wiggle room.

9 Not Return: Rumpelstiltskin

After his big defeat a decade ago, there’s no reason for Rumpelstiltskin to return. Shrek’s well aware that he’s not to be trusted, which was the ogre’s downfall in the fourth film.

According to Donkey’s Christmas Shrektacular, the villain is still very much alive and imprisoned in the swamp, so his return shouldn’t be ruled out, but the franchise is in dire need of a new kind of conflict after the same hero/villain setup it’s used in each film. Dreamworks would do well to take a page out of Disney’s book with recent films like Moana and Frozen 2 in which the conflict is more complicated and interesting. They’ve already done this successfully with films like The Croods so it makes sense to apply the tactic to Shrek 5.

8 Return: The Kids

As enjoyable as Shrek Forever After was, it did the same thing too many TV shows and films do when it comes to family: it made the assumption that having one was too dull to make into an adventure in and of itself. Once Shrek had kids, instead of working out his troubles with his wife as a partner, he became a petulant child himself who could only have adventures – and learn to be a better partner – without said children around.

The kids could have added incredible interest and humor into the franchise instead, as was hinted at in Scared Shrekless. This film should give the kids a much more prominent role in which audiences get to know them.

7 Not Return: Merlin And Arthur

Shrek 3 is easily the worst of the Shrek films. Despite some fun scenes featuring Fiona and the princesses, it features Shrek at his weakest as well as two of the most boring characters added to the series – Merlin and Arthur.

Merlin is a goofy old wizard who chews on rocks. Arthur does nothing but complain and is incredibly irritating, even when he saves the day. We’re supposed to care for him when he’s bullied but he’s so whiny that he makes it difficult. He’ll probably have trouble ruling Far, Far Away – especially if he’s anything like the real King Arthur – and one of Fiona and Shrek’s kids may need to take on the job someday.

6 Return: The Resistance Ogres

It made no sense for the ogres of Fiona’s resistance to be included at the end of Shrek Forever After since Shrek should have returned to his original point in time where he’d signed away a day of his life, but these characters are too interesting to cut altogether.

Even aside from talented voices like Jane Lynch and Craig Robinson, the characters proved that there are many other ogres around who should show up in the series at some point. It’s weird that they don’t run into any if there are that many around. Granted, ogres like their privacy, but it would make sense for Shrek to have some family for Fiona to meet this time around.

5 Not Return: Charming And Fairy Godmother

Fairy Godmother was the best villain in the Shrek franchise, blending pop culture, fairytale plastic surgery, and passive-aggressiveness to the extreme together to create one exceptionally evil character. That’s why she absolutely cannot make a comeback. She would completely steal the show and beating her would be next to impossible if she somehow managed to be restored to her former powers.

The same goes for Charming, who was destroyed in Shrek 3 and returned later in some of the Shrek shorts, but he is the opposite of his mother and too boring of a character to further the film’s future.

4 Return: Donkey

Who would Shrek be without his original sidekick, Donkey? Ever since the beast of burden followed Shrek to his swamp in the first film, they’ve been an inseparable pair, whether Shrek wanted them to be or not. He’s always been there to help his best friend, but now he has a family of his own to worry about. This could still work in favor of the film.

If the kids remain young in the next Shrek film, playdates with Donkey and Dragon’s kids make sense, and if the kids are older, he may not be as needed for the plot, but he could retain a smaller role as a fan favorite.

3 Not Return: Puss

Puss was an adorable kitty with big eyes who created wonderful tension between himself and Donkey as Shrek’s number one sidekick and BFF. Since then, the joke has pretty much dissipated and Puss has enjoyed many adventures of his own – enough to warrant his own film and series.

It might make sense for Puss to have a small cameo in a scene, and fans love him. But given his adventurous spirit, keeping him in one place just doesn’t seem fair to the character, swamp, or palace. Plus, if the series is going to expand enough to give Shrek and Fiona’s brood enough room to grow, some tough cuts will need to be made.

2 Return: Pinocchio, Gingy And The Gang

After witnessing the harrowing consumption and demise of Gingy in Shrek Forever After by none other than Puss himself, fans need to see the cute little cookie alive and well again. Beyond that, it just makes sense to have this ragtag team of background characters pop up again after they’ve had small roles in each movie.

Pinocchio, Wolfie, the pigs, and Gingy all serve as fantastic comic relief without stealing the show, and none of them really have the gumption to pursue their own adventures like Puss. Their inclusion, coupled with more pop culture references, will help flesh out the film.

1 Not Return: Lillian

As beloved as Julie Andrews is, her character, Queen Lillian, hasn’t had much to do on the series in a while, and it doesn’t make a lot of sense to have her in another movie, save for a small cameo appearance if necessary.

The only way a larger role for the queen might make sense is if she were training one of Shrek and Fiona’s kids to rule over the kingdom, which could actually be an interesting new direction. This would depend entirely on the timeline the new movie has and not only if the kids are in it, but also how much they’ve aged since Shrek Forever After.

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