People are theorizing that Shrek and Fiona’s daughter, played by Zendaya in Shrek 5, is trans because of her eyes.
DreamWorks has officially unveiled the first teaser trailer for Shrek 5. This marks the return of the beloved franchise with a fresh twist. The teaser not only confirms the comeback of iconic characters like Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey but also introduces a new face: Zendaya as Shrek and Fiona’s daughter. This revelation has ignited a flurry of fan theories and discussions, particularly surrounding the true identity of Zendaya’s character.
In the brief teaser, Donkey asks the Magic Mirror who the ‘fairest of them all’ is. In response, he displays various internet memes of Shrek. Zendaya’s character, depicted as a teenage ogre with red hair and brown eyes, reacts with embarrassment. She gives an exasperated, “Dad!” at seeing Shrek in meme form. This scene has led fans to speculate about her character’s backstory and identity.
Is Shrek’s daughter trans in Shrek 5?
One prevailing theory suggests that Zendaya’s character is not Felicia, the daughter introduced in Shrek the Third. Rather, they say, she could be one of Shrek and Fiona’s children who is trans. This interpretation stems from Felicia’s distinct eye color being blue, whereas Fergus and Farkle have brown eyes. Zendaya’s character has brown eyes like the boys.
u/PowerPulser posted on the r/sh*ttymoviedetails subreddit, “In Shrek 5, this unnamed girl refers to Shrek as ‘dad’. However, Felicia has blue eyes and not bright brown eyes. Meaning that this character is actually trans Farkle.”
Another theory posits that Zendaya’s character is a fourth, younger sibling, expanding the original trio of ogre babies. This speculation arises from the fact that we don’t know when this movie takes place. Two of the triplets are also not featured in the teaser trailer.
A slightly more disturbing fan theory is that Felicia ate her brothers; Shrek the Third revealed that ogres are cannibals and will eat one another.
Eye color changes over time
A significant point of discussion among fans is the discrepancy in eye color. Shrek the Third depicts baby Felicia with bright blue eyes and brothers Fergus and Farkle with brown eyes. Meanwhile, in the teaser, Zendaya’s character has brown eyes.
This color change could have been intentional because babies born with blue eyes will occasionally change their eye color over time to a darker color. According to Healthline, “Eyes that are a darker shade from birth tend to stay dark, while some eyes that began a lighter shade will also darken as melanin production increases.”
Some fans say that it’s possible that the animators simply forgot that Felicia’s eyes were supposed to be blue. This could be a simple mistake without it being a deliberate plot point in the movie. A disappointing theory to some, but also one of the easiest to assume.
Shrek 5 is scheduled for a Dec. 2026 release. The new film promises to blend comedy with modern cultural references, as audiences have come to expect of the Shrek franchise.
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