After much anticipation, Shrek 5 is nearing its release. Universal Pictures posted a teaser trailer recently, adding the news of Zendaya joining the animated universe. She's playing Shrek and Fiona's daughter, Felicia, who appears to be a young adult. Mind you, the new animation design makes their age difficult to pin down.
Fiona, for instance, looks much different than in past movies. Her cheeks are less pronounced, and her mouth is comparably tighter. The decision to make these changes is unclear, especially when the character has remained the same since the beginning. Her wardrobe also includes a subtle difference—sleeves. They may be present to cover up how Fiona has slimmed down.
The titular protagonist, Shrek, undergoes a similar treatment in the upcoming film. Not much is different about him besides his face being proportionate to his body, but that may be the problem. A cartoonish appearance is what made him comedic—easy on the eyes. The finely-tuned version, however, looks like Shrek went to a plastic surgeon for revitalizing procedures. That's not the swamp-dwelling ogre fans grew up with.
It's worth mentioning that old age may have changed them. As one can see, Felicia possesses the traits Fiona used to hold—pronounced ears and a plumper physique. Audiences haven't seen old ogres in their fictional universe, so they may wither away as time passes, potentially explaining why Shrek and Fiona look different. That's more logical than an arbitrary change in animation style.
What's odd is the teaser says nothing about the ogre couple's other offspring. They had three little ones, so a pair is unaccounted for. Perhaps they're off on separate adventures, or maybe those reveals are being saved for a later time. A rowdy kid who embraces the savage type of ogre lifestyle would be something that Universal Pictures will save for a solo promo. Maybe that's the crux of the film.
Attempting to reunite a broken family—particularly one with a confused child, is very different. The premise sounds feasible, though. Centering the plot around reuniting them, specifically having Felicia (Zendaya) reach out to her sibling could happen. Maybe one or both forsaken children threaten the core family until the trio reconciles. They're triplets, after all.
Additionally, Donkey's wife and his hybrid pups are a mystery. They'll presumably be in the full trailer once that is released. Although, one can only guess what the fairytale creatures could do as teenagers/young adults. In all likelihood, they'll cameo in the movie, flying alongside the matriarch. Of course, they may mature to the point where they're intelligent and as sociable as Donkey (Eddie Murphy) is. In that scenario, the donkey-dragon hybrids might be in school. The kingdom of Duloc included schools and a combination of fairytale creatures, which means the dragon pups may be busy with studies.
Shrek 5 opens in theaters on December 23, 2026.