Shrek 5 Cast: Every Character & Actor Expected to Appear In Sequel

By Klein Felt Posted:
Shrek characters

With Shrek 5 on the way, fans are wondering what characters will appear as a part of this animated cast. 

Set in DreamWorks' satirical fairy tale world, the Shrek franchise is finally coming back to theaters more than 14 years after its last mainline entry. 

Not much is known about the upcoming sequel except it is assumed "the cast [is] coming back" (via Illumination Entertainment founder and CEO Chris Meledandri per Variety). 

That means audiences can expect the likes of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz to all reprise their roles in this swamp-dwelling blockbuster. 

[ Shrek 5: Release, Cast, and Everything We Know ]

Every Main Character and Actor Expected to Appear in Shrek 5

With casting yet to be officially confirmed, here is a list of every actor and character expected to appear in Shrek 5 with more info on each below:

Mike Myers - Shrek

Mike Myers in The Pentaverate, Shrek
Mike Myers

Of course, no Shrek movie would be complete without its titular curmudgeonly ogre. Played by Mike Myers, Shrek has not been heard from on the big screen since 2010's Shrek Forever After, as the once solitary swamp-dweller embraced having a family, fathering a set of ogre triplets with his wife, the former princess Fiona. 

The last fans saw of the beloved animated ogre, he was going up against the dastardly Rumpelstiltskin after he accidentally wiped all ogres from existence. Taking down the magical antagonist, Shrek had to restore his kind's former glory while getting Fiona to fall back in love with him. 

Myers has been a mainstay in comedy for more than 30 years, best known for his work on Saturday Night Live, Wanye's World, and the Austin Powers franchise. 

Eddie Murphy - Donkey

Eddie Murphy, Donkey from Shrek
Eddie Murphy

Set to star alongside Mike Myers's Shrek, as he has in every Shrek film up to this point, is Eddie Murphy as the lovable wise-cracking equine, Donkey. Known for his 'glass-half-full' approach to life and anatomically confounding romance with Elizabeth the Dragon, wherever Shrek has gone Donkey has followed. 

While Eddie Murphy's theatrical output has not been as prolific as it once was, the comedy icon previously said he would "do [Shrek 5] in two seconds" if given the opportunity.

Murphy's previous credits include The Nutty Professor, Beverly Hills Cop, and Dreamgirls

Cameron Diaz - Princess Fiona

Cameron Diaz, Princess Fiona from Shrek
Cameron Diaz

Reprising her role from the previous Shrek film is Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona. The once-human heir to the royal throne of Far Far Away, Fiona gave up her humanity and embraced the curse put upon her to live her life as an ogre alongside her one true love, Shrek. 

Since 2014, Diaz has been largely absent from Hollywood, going into an early retirement. However, she is set to make her big comeback in 2024's Back in Action alongside Jamie Foxx

Diaz can also be seen in The Holiday, The Mask, and Charlie's Angels

Antonio Banderas - Puss in Boots

Antonio Banderas, Puss in Boots from Shrek
Antonio Banderas

Antonio Banderas' Puss in Boots has been one of the few Shrek characters to live on beyond the mainline films. Puss has been featured prominently since Shrek 4, getting two animated spin-offs of his own including the critically acclaimed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Puss in Boots is a charming debonaire feline swordsman who never backs down from a challenge. After first being introduced in 2004's Shrek 2, Puss has become synonymous with the Shrek franchise. 

Having worked in film for over 40 years, Banderas has amassed 122 acting credits including roles in The Mask of Zorro, The 13th Warrior, and Desperado

Salma Hayek - Kitty Softpaws

Salma Hayek, Kitty Softpaws in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Salma Hayek

After making her Shrek-verse debut in the Puss in Boots spin-off films, it is assumed Salma Hayek's Kitty Softpaws will make the jump to Shrek 5 alongside Puss in Boots. 

Kitty is a calm and cool outlaw in her own right and the love interest of Antonio Banderas's Puss in Boots across his two solo films. What a perfect celebration of the legacy of the Shrek name it would be to have characters like Kitty cross over from the spin-off into the fifth mainline film. 

Hayek is best known for her work on Frida, Savages, and Eternals

Harvey Guillén - Perrito 

Harvey Guillén, Perrito in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Harvey Guillén

Another Puss In Boots character that feels like a likely addition to Shrek 5 is Harvey Guillén's Perrito. Perrito is a happy-go-lucky therapy dog who made his first franchise appearance in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

By the end of The Last Wish, Perrito has joined Team Puss, befriending the feline felon and accompanying the character as he heads "off to find new adventures, and to see some old friends."

Guillén will be familiar to fans of DC's Blue Beetle, The Internship, and What We Do in the Shadows

Conrad Vernon - Gingerbread Man

Gingerbread Man from Shrek 2
DreamWorks Animation

A staple of the Shrek franchise is the Gingerbread Man (played by Conrad Vernon). This hilarious take on the iconic fable character has been a part of the series of films since the very beginning, winning fans over from the get-go with his exclamation of, "not my gumdrop buttons!"

Vernon is a renowned voice actor best known for his roles in Sausage Party, Monsters vs. Aliens, and Madagascar

Cody Cameron - Pinocchio

Pinocchio from Shrek
DreamWorks Animation

Cody Cameron's Pinocchio is another mainstay of the Shrek movies who can be expected to pop back up in Shrek 5. This banished fairy tale joined Shrek in his conquest to save the residents of Duloc back in 2001's Shrek and has been around the lovable ogre ever since. 

Cameron has also been a part of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Open Season, and Madagascar

Christopher Knights - Three Blind Mice

Three Blind Mice in Shrek 2
DreamWorks Animation

Christopher Knights is expected to come back for Shrek 5 as the Three Blind Mice. First introduced in the 2001 original Shrek, Knights's Three Blind Mice are a hilarious take on the characters from the long-sung "Three Blind Mice" nursery rhyme. 

Other than his work in the Shrek franchise, Knights is best known for playing Private the Penguin in the Madagascar movies. 

Aron Warner - Big Bad Wolf

Big Bad Wolf from Shrek 2
DreamWorks Animation

Shrek's Big Bad Wolf (played by Aron Warner) will also surely be back for Shrek 5.

This animated take on the classic fairy tale character is always seen wearing the pajamas of Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother, as he is ready to devour the girl should she come knocking. Like Pinocchio, the Three Blind Mice, and Gingerbread Man, the Big Bad Wolf has been a staple of Shrek's crew since the very beginning. 

Aside from his voice work in the Shrek films, Warner is also a producer on the entire franchise. 

The Ogre Triplets

The Ogre Triplets from Shrek: Forever After
DreamWorks Animation

Shrek is a family man now, so surely his three Ogre Triplets will play into Shrek 5. It remains unknown who will play the triplets as they were just babies the last time audiences saw them.

Perhaps with all the years since the last Shrek movie, the triplets will have grown up a bit with Shrek and Fiona dealing with the tall task of parenting teenagers. 

Pied Piper

The Pied Piper from Shrek: Forever After
DreamWorks Animation

After playing a small role in Shrek Forever After it has been reported the Pied Piper will be the primary antagonist of Shrek 5. He is a bounty hunter with a magical flute that can cause any creature to dance uncontrollably when he plays. 

Pied Piper's involvement in the fifth Shrek film has yet to be confirmed as has hit casting; though he was voiced by Jeremy Steig in Shrek 4


Shrek 5 is rumored to be released sometime in 2025. 

- About The Author: Klein Felt
Klein Felt is a Senior Editor at The Direct. Joining the website back in 2020, he helped jumpstart video game content on The Direct. Klein plays a vital role as a part of the site's content team, demonstrating expertise in all things PlayStation, Marvel, and the greater entertainment industry.