"Why does he look homeless" — Online memes erupt as Donkey receives a redesign for 'Shrek 5'

After all those years of anticipation, Shrek 5 is around the corner. DreamWorks has just released the first teaser announcing a Christmas 2026 drop. A section of the internet has, however, reacted not with applause but pure confusion. Why? Character overhauls — especially Donkey, whom many feel, appears as if he has either had a midlife glow-up or passed through some dodgy AI filter.

Fans were looking forward to a throwback trip back to the swamp, not an identity crisis for their beloved talking sidekick. Now, rather than partying, some netizens are left speculating if this is Shrek 5 or a parallel universe where Donkey has just discovered skincare.

As soon as the news came out, a user took to his X account and commented:

"why does he look homeless"

Believe it or not, they do have an argument. His remake has him dressed less as Shrek's cheerful, fast-talking sidekick and more as if he has just been evicted from the swamp.

Is DreamWorks is aiming for a dark remake — Shrek 5: Donkey's Struggle, perhaps? Many fans, however, are presently only wishing that someone would hook him up with a brush and a stable where he can lay his head.

With Shrek 5 finally underway, fans thought they would see some nostalgia, thrills, and perhaps even a glorious return to the swamp. What they didn't anticipate, though, was a Donkey rework that reduced the internet to a meltdown state.

Rather than cheers, social media has become a war zone of memes, roastings, and life questions about why on earth Donkey now resembles someone who has survived too much.

From wild speculation to side-splitting comparisons, this is how the fans are responding to DreamWorks' surprising transformation.

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Netizens react as Donkey receives a redesign for Shrek 5

Donkey's new appearance has everyone asking if he got lost on the way out of far far away and wound up in a really seedy part of town. If this is what DreamWorks calls character development, then Donkey has obviously been through a lot, many social media feel. Check out a few reactions:

"He looks like a Madagascar character," a user joked.

"Who did this," another user sarcastically asked.

"I’m going to start calling aging ‘me receiving redesigns’," a netizen expressed.

Fans couldn't help but draw comparisons between Donkey's redesign and the infamous live-action Sonic debacle. If history has shown us anything, it's that when the internet comes together to rage against a CGI glow-down, studios take notice, so Donkey may just receive the emergency makeover he could so desperately do with:

"They gave him the 'live-action Sonic' treatment… fix it NOW," a user commented.

"We have time to bully them like we did for Sonic", a user joked.

"Family life exhausted him... because what the hell?" someone commented.

And then there's the peanut gallery, back with popcorn, enjoying the mayhem as if it were a reality show. Regardless of whether or not Donkey gets spayed, they've already won — because nothing trumps the internet losing its mind over a CGI mule.

"They turned Donkey into a Disney prince, and I’m scared," a netizen hilariously commented.

"It’s called aging," another user sarcastically wrote.

In the end, Shrek 5 is scheduled to arrive whether or not fans approve of Donkey's new appearance. However, if DreamWorks wants to keep their sanity, they might want to reach for the eraser tool quickly. So, will Donkey receive a much-needed glow-up, or are we doomed to have Shrek 5: The Midlife Crisis Edition? Time will tell.

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