Summary
DreamWorks Animation recently announcedShrek 5but has yet to confirm one greatly lucrative and recurring franchise star’s status in the forthcoming installment. It’s been 14 years since the lastShrekmovie,Shrek Forever After, and for a while there, a new sequel seemed like a far, far away pipe dream. Over a decade of talk and speculation abouta fifthShrekinstallmentkindled glimmers of hope for the franchise’s expansion until DreamWorks finally removed all doubt with aShrek 5announcement and release date. At this time,Shrek 5is expected to be released on July 04, 2025.
As production gears up, so begins the second string of pressing questions, including whatShrek 5will be about, how it’ll compare to the previous movies, and most importantly, who will be involved. The franchise’s dynamite history of actors, who’ve broughtShrek’sfairy tale charactersto life with iconic voices and personalities, needs to be sustained ifShrek 5looks to equate to past installments. So far,DreamWorks has confirmed three original stars, but other big names and important characterswho could help fashionShrek 5into the epic sequel everyone’s been waiting forhang in the balance.
Shrek 5 Should Continue A Franchise Casting Trend
The Shrek franchise has been successful for over 20 years now and the next film, Shrek 5, should continue one casting trend to gain even more fame.
Antonio Banderas Is Not Confirmed To Return As Puss In Boots In Shrek 5
Yet, Other Major Franchise Players Have Been Confirmed
DreamWorks announcedShrek 5via a nostalgia-filled post onXfeaturing a green “5” stylized with ogre ears that trumpeted the tune of Smash Mouth’s “All Star.” Along withShrek 5’srelease date, DreamWorks confirmed original actors Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz will reprise their longtime roles as Shrek, Donkey, and Princess Fiona. As to be expected, a fuller list of cast and characters is pending. However, even in light ofShrek 5’searly development stage,Antonio Banderas' absence from the first batch of confirmed stars feels really unexpectedand somewhat unsettling.
Unlike Myers, Murphy, and Diaz, Banderas hasn’t been withtheShrekfranchisesince the beginning, but he’s been a fan-favorite figure as the voice of Puss in Boots. By appearing inShrek 2and beyond,Banderas' charming feline amassed so much appeal that he warranted the creation of his self-titled spinoff movies, the critical and commercial hitsPuss in BootsandPuss in Boots: The Last Wish. If Banderas' transcendent franchise efforts weren’t enough a reason to name him in the initial lot of confirmed castmates, then the anticipation set byPuss in Boots: The Last Wishshould have been.
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Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Cast
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish follows the titular character as he embarks on a quest to restore his nine lives. Realizing he has exhausted all but one of his lives, Puss seeks the mythical Last Wish, embarking on an epic adventure to rediscover his destiny.
Released in 2022,Puss in Boots: The Last Wishshowed beyond a doubt that the demand for newShrekuniverse films remains high. Albeit having the lowest worldwide gross of all the overarching franchise’s films,The Last Wishwas the 10th highest-grossing movie of the 2022 worldwide box office (viaThe Numbers). With noShrekorPuss in Bootsfilms in the last decade to lean on and through cinema’s most unpredictable era yet,Puss in Boots: The Last Wishstill pulled audiences, setting upShrek 5with the assurance that the universe’s fanbase was as strong as ever.
Even more,The Last Wishprimed audiences with aShrek 5tease that’s kept them in a high state of anticipation ever since. Atthe end ofThe Last Wish, following Puss in Boots' epic run-in with Death, who’d come to claim the last of his nine lives, Puss decides to sail"off to find new adventures and to [visit] some old friends.“As his ship cruises toward the Kingdom of Far Away in the final scene,the assumption looms that Banderas will reprise his role in another movie alongside Shrek and Donkey.
10 Ways Puss In Boots: The Last Wish Sets Up Shrek 5
Dreamworks' Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, starring Antonio Banderas as the fearless feline sets up the long-awaited Shrek 5 in a variety of ways.
Shrek 5 Not Bringing Back Puss In Boots Would Be A Mistake
Puss Is Too Big To Pass Over
If not already evident, Puss in Boots can hold his own outside his companionship with Shrek and Donkey. The success ofShrek’sspinoff series has proven that, even alone,Puss in Boots remains a beloved and marketable character. That said, leaving Puss on the outskirts of Shrek and Donkey’s next big adventure would be a missed opportunity of the greatest scale. Before thePuss in Bootsmovies, Puss had been Shrek and Donkey’s fiercest ally, using his cunning, swordsmanship, and “cute eyes” to get the upper hand on some ofShrek’sworst villains.
Puss in Boots also appeared in the TV specialShrek the Hallsand the Netflix seriesThe Adventures of Puss in Boots.
Puss in Boots' established dynamic among the originalShrekcharacters had audiences waiting for his next smooth-talking remark or big fight scene in everyShrekmovie he appeared in. In the end,Puss in Boots began to feel as integral to the franchise as the rest of its leading characters. Without Antonio Banderas' Puss in Boots,Shrek 5still holds great promise, no doubt, but including him would help to recall some of the best, funniest, and most exhilarating aspects of the previousShrekmovies.
