Eddie Murphy ''ready'' to voice Donkey in Shrek 5

In a recent interview with Etalk, actor Eddie Murphy, who played Donkey in the Shrek movies, revealed that he would be more than happy to return to the franchise.

Even after two decades, Shrek remains one of the most popular animated films ever made, and memes and pop culture references from the movie are still abundant in today's day and age.

Its popularity has led to several spin-offs, most recently being Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

In the interview, Murphy revealed that a script had been written in 2016, and in 2018, Chris Meledandri was acknowledged to either reboot the franchise or go ahead with fresh stories.

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Eddie Murphy jokingly said that they should've made a movie for Donkey over Antonio Banderas' Puss in Boots

Eddie Murphy revealed that he would be up in seconds to play Donkey if the Shrek franchise is resurrected.

Eddie Murphy said:

"Oh, I'd absolutely be open. If they ever came with another Shrek, I’d do it in two seconds. I love Donkey. I wish they would…they did the Puss in Boots movies, I was like ‘They should’ve done a Donkey movie, Donkey is funnier than Puss in Boots!’"

He continued:

"I mean, I love Puss in Boots, but he aint funny as a Donkey! I would do a Donkey movie. I would do another Shrek in two seconds."

When the interviewer suggested Murphy work his magic and make some calls to get a spinoff movie starring Donkey like Puss in Boots, the actor said:

"That’s Dreamworks Animation. They have to want to do it. Dreamworks, if you all want to do it, just call me. I’m ready, I’m sitting and ready to do Donkey."

The possibility of a new Shrek movie cannot be completely eliminated, in fact, Antonio Banderas hinted that there would be a fifth installment of Shrek, during the Red Sea Film Festival.

He said:

"The first time I did Puss In Boots, I was working on Broadway, so I did my first session there. I’ve done five movies now. There is probably gonna be another, and Shrek is probably coming back."

Furthermore, NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell revealed in a recent earnings call that the company's acquisition of Dreamworks has "been paying off steadily" since its completion, praising Puss in Boots: The Last Wish for its box office success.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, he said:

"We are always looking for bolt-on acquisitions that bolster our business. And I’ll give two examples. We bought DreamWorks (Animation), and it’s been paying off steadily since our acquisition."

He continued:

"And just now, Puss in Boots (The Last Wish), which is a big hit at the box office and really our entry back into the Shrek universe, continues to make that acquisition look really favorable."

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Eddie Murphy: Career and filmography

Born on April 3, 1961, Murphy is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer who rose to stardom on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, where he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984.

He received a Grammy and Emmy Award and was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2015 and the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2023.

Eddie Murphy has received Golden Globe Award nominations for his roles in 48 Hrs., the Beverly Hills Cop series, Trading Places, The Nutty Professor, and Dolemite Is My Name.