Eddie Murphy shares that he is open to the possibility of Shrek 5 and a Donkey spinoff movie. Murphy has been the voice of Donkey ever since the first Shrek released in 2001. He continued to voice the character in the sequels Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, and Shrek Forever After. Since the last film in the franchise, there have been rumors of a potential Shrek 5 being made as well. Though little has come of it, the recent success of the spinoff movie Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has sparked new life into the franchise and opened the door for more installments.
While promoting his newest movie You People, Murphy shares in an interview with Etalk that he would love to be part of Shrek 5 and to get his own Donkey spinoff movie.
Murphy makes it clear that he would be excited to join Shrek 5 if he was asked by DreamWorks Animation. He even throws some lighthearted shade at Puss in Boots by saying that Donkey is a funnier character, a remark that aligns well with the characters’ banter and their rivalry in Shrek 2. Check out Murphy’s response below:
“I’d absolutely be open if they ever came with another Shrek, I’d do it in two seconds. I love Donkey. You know, they did Puss in Boots movies. I was like, ‘They should have did a Donkey movie. Donkey is funnier than Puss in Boots. I mean, I love Puss in Boots, but he ain’t funny as the Donkey.”
How Puss In Boots: The Lash Wish Sets Up Shrek 5
The renewed interest in Shrek 5 stems from the recent success of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, whose ending sets up the potential Shrek sequel. The movie ends with Puss and his companions Kitty Softpaws and Perrito aboard the Governor of Del Mar’s ship after stealing it. When Perrito asks where they are headed, Puss says, “Off to find new adventures and to see some old friends,” with the camera then panning to the sign and castle of the Kingdom of Far Far Away. With this being the home of Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey, they are clearly the old friends Puss is referencing. The new adventures that Puss is off to find with these old friends sets up the plot of Shrek 5.
Will Shrek 5 Ever Happen?
Murphy’s comments, the aforementioned story setup, and the box office success of Puss in Boots aren’t the only indicators that Shrek 5 will finally happen. In 2018, screenwriter Michael McCullers said Shrek 5 would be a reinvention of the series and that the script was completed. Since then, Mike Myers has expressed that he would be interested in returning to voice Shrek. All of these elements make it more likely that Shrek 5 will happen, especially now that it can include characters like Kitty and Perrito from the popular Puss in Boots sequel alongside characters from the original Shrek movies.
One complication could be that while Murphy and Myers are eager to be Donkey and Shrek again, and Antonio Banderas is happy to continue voicing Puss, Cameron Diaz may not want to play Fiona again. Diaz retired from acting in 2014 and has not made any public statements about wanting to reprise the role of Fiona. However, she is coming out of retirement to be in the upcoming movie Back in Action alongside Jamie Foxx, Glenn Close, and Kyle Chandler. Diaz may be the last piece needed to make Shrek 5 finally happen. The good news is that the possibility of Shrek 5 seems more tangible than ever before.
