Fans have been given a first look at the ninth returning character set to appear in Shrek 5. The acclaimed Shrek franchise will add yet another chapter to its big-screen story book in 2026, marking the return of Mike Myers' wise-cracking ogre, as well as several other big-name characters. Shrek's four-legged pal Donkey will also be back for this latest fantasy romp, as will Cameron Diaz's Princess Fiona. The list goes on and on.
As part of the movie's ongoing marketing campaign, yet another familiar face has been confirmed to appear in the film. New images revealed that Conrad Vernon's Gingerbread Man (aka Gingy) will join in on the Shrek 5 fun, standing as one of nine officially announced returning characters in the DreamWorks sequel.
Attractions Magazine leaked Giny's Shrek 5 role, thanks to his appearance on the movie's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade float, set to appear in the annual New York City event on Thursday, November 27.
Gingy can be seen on the float, which is shaped like a chariot fashioned from a giant garlic clove, standing on the hand of Princess Fiona and waving to passersby.
The gumdrop button-touting walking, talking confection joins big-name returning characters from the rest of the Shrek franchise, including Shrek and Fiona's three children Felcia, Farkle, and Fergus.
See the complete list of returning cast members below:
- Shrek
- Fiona
- Donkey
- Mirror
- Pinnochio
- Felcia
- Farkle
- Fergus
- Gingy
Shrek 5 comes to theaters on June 30, 2027. The new film from DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures stars Mike Myers as the franchise's titular curmudgeonly swamp, as he navigates being the father to three now-teenage Ogre kids.
What Other Returning Characters Could Shrek 5 Be Hiding?
As mentioned, Gingy joins an already-stacked list of returning characters from the Shrek franchise, all coming back for the long-awaited Shrek 5.
It will be fun for fans to revisit these familiar faces in a new storybook adventure featuring Mike Myers' iconic green ogre, but there are plenty more fan-favorites who still have not been confirmed for the 2026 sequel (just one of many top-tier sequel movies releasing next year).
The big name missing from this list so far is Antonia Banderas' Puss in Boots. First introduced in Shrek 2, Banderas' gallant kitty cat character has been a staple of the Shrek franchise. In fact, the sword-wielding feline has buoyed the series in the decade-and-a-half since Shrek Forever After.
Puss has left his own series of movies outside of the mainline Shrek films, with the latest Puss In Boots: The Last Wish arriving as recently as December 2022.
Banderas told fans in February that he had not been asked back for Shrek 5, but was not opposed to the idea. "I’m not so far," the Puss in Boots actor told Parade, adding that he was "satisfied" with his five appearances as the character, but joked, "Maybe they [will] call me."
It would not feel like a Shrek movie at this point without the appearance of Puss, so hopefully, DreamWorks has rectified the mistake of leaving him out since Bandares gave these quotes.
Other popular characters still missing from the Shrek 5 call sheet include Dragon, Softpaws, and Lord Farquaad, if DreamWorks wanted to dust off the original Shrek villain.
