“Bring back the old character models” — Fans seemingly disappointed with character designs as Shrek 5 teaser drops

Dreamworks unveiled the first Shrek 5 trailer on February 27, revealing the cast of the film, which is scheduled for Christmas 2026 release. Additionally, the trailer also introduced the daughter of the green ogre and and his wife, voiced by Zendaya.

The film is set to release more than fifteen years after part 4, which premiered in 2010. However, the character design has changed significantly since the last time fans watched the ogre on the big screen.

Now, when the trailer was uploaded on X by Pop Base on February 27, it received some backlash. Some fans have expressed dissatisfaction with the film's character designs and new animation technique. One even urged to bring back the old characters.

“Bring back the old character models,” urged one user.

Others also reacted in a similar manner. One said that the animation was a bit off, while another sarcastically asked the new generation to enjoy it.

“The animation is the only thing that’s pissing me off, I’m still seated of course,” one user expressed.

“Fiona’s facelift…,” pointed out one user.

“And just like that, the viewers for the movie went down tremendously. gen alpha kids, enjoy!” stated one x user.

However, not everyone criticised the trailer. Some fans even supported it. One said that the teaser seemed like a blast, expressing excitement over Zendaya's addition, while another one said that they were very excited about the movie.

“My kind of holiday gift— Shrek 5's on the way! Teaser's a blast with Shrek, Donkey, and that mirror— adding Zendaya to the mix feels so right. Loving it already!” one excited user wrote.

“TOOO CRAZYYYYYYY man im hype i remember growing up on shrek frrrrr i hope they don’t make everything woke or sum,” another one wrote.

“Mind. Blown. Zendaya as the ogre princess? Yes, please! Can't wait to see her bring this new character to life in Shrek 5!” another user exclaimed.

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Shrek 5 is set to release in almost two years

Almost 25 years have passed since the first film released in 2001. The 27-second long teaser of the fifth installation, which comes out in December 2026, began with the ogre browsing the magical mirror.

In the teaser, the daughter, Felicia, her parents, and Donkey are seen standing in front of a magic mirror and posing the question:

“Hey magic mirror. Who’s the fairest of them all?”

The mirror then replied:

"Why! Shrek ofcourse."

Following this, a collage with the ogre in a variety of poses, including one in which he was muscular, got featured. It also included a clip of him posing shirtless, and another where he was dancing.

Donkey and the ogre became alarmed by the collage, and Felicia grimaced in disdain. Later it was discovered that Pinocchio was the one who uploaded it.

Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz reprise their roles as Shrek, Donkey, and Princess Fiona in the 5th installment of the franchise.

Meanwhile, as per Box Office Mojo, the films based on the ogre family are among the most successful of all time, with the 2nd installment of the movie grossing $441 million upon its 2004 release.

The 3rd installment made roughly $322 million in 2007. Two animated spin-off films, Puss in Boots and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish also released subsequently, which were based in the same universe.