A return to the Shrek franchise has been teased ever since the release of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and last week saw DreamWorks giving an official first look at the returning Shrek and his family.
What’s become apparent is that Shrek and everyone else’s character models have been updated, but fans can’t seem to point a finger on why the new Shrek just doesn’t sit right with them. Luckily, some Twitter users who have way more time and experience have pointed out exactly what’s different with the new Shrek.
What’s Different with the New Shrek?
While several Shrek fans have just been saying that they don’t like the new look without being specific, @SockTiger posts a thorough breakdown of exactly what’s been changed with the new Shrek. Here’s their thread:
Though Shrek may be at the center of all this analysis, the biggest change in the character model is no doubt that of Donkey, who looks way more cartoonish compared to his original design from the first four Shrek films.
For a more visual comparison, here’s a fan edit that gives Shrek proportions that look closer to the original design:
The Redesign was Inevitable
With Puss in Boots: The Last Wish embracing a more animated aesthetic, it was only natural that they would do the same for the characters in the Shrek movies.
While animation from the early 2000s were focused on how realistic characters could look, the success of Into the Spider-Verse has sparked a new animation standard where movies are now allowed to look more cartoonish—and it seems to be the direction that Shrek 5 is going in as well.
Though there is a lot of nostalgia going around for the original Shrek, looking back at the OG films some fans have realized that the animation does look stiff at times, and human characters are closer to the uncanny valley than they are now.
Take It or Leave It
Though there are some fans who are very vocal about the studio ‘ruining’ Shrek, there are the more logical fans who understand that the character needed a visual upgrade, and they can’t really base everything off a teaser that only ran for a few seconds.
At some point, some older millennials who grew up with the movie are being called out for acting toxic toward Shrek of all things, and it’s become a hilarious reality check for some people:
If anything, the new character model does look pretty expressive, and just looking at the original movies, Shrek and his pals were pretty much limited by the technology of 2010s animation. Sure it would be great if the studio managed to get more accurate proportions, but if changing the character model again would lead to more spending and a huge delay, maybe it’s best that the movie just stick to what’s been revealed.
At best, this could be a relaunch of the franchise and should be an entry point for new fans who haven’t even checked out the original films.
Watch out for Shrek 5 when it comes to cinemas on Christmas 2026.