Antonio Banderas says "Shrek is probably coming back"

Now just imagine Antonio Banderas saying this in his silky smooth, accented voice—it’s those sacred words we’ve all been waiting to hear: “Shrek is probably coming back.”

That’s right. With a new Puss In Boots film just around the corner, Banderas divulges that a new Shrek sequel from DreamWorks is not out of the fairytale-fueled imagination.

“I’ve been with this cat for almost 20 years,” he says, per Deadline. “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.”

Mike Myers’ ogre was last seen in the 2010 sequel, Shrek Forever After. Since then, we’ve seen a reign of the sword-wielding, booted feline, as he’s appeared in Puss In Boots (2011), Puss In Boots: The Three Diablos (2012), and the soon to arrive, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. In the latest Puss In Boots installment, the aged adventurer faces death as he risks running out of his nine lives.

The Last Wish could easily usher in a new era of Shrek, an IP which has only gained more pop culture star power in the last two decades. Ahead of the feature’s wide theatrical release later this month, the spin-off film has amassed positive reviews from critics, who laud it’s rousing spaghetti western style and risky, darker storytelling.

In addition to Banderas, The Last Wish features the voices of Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and more.

Puss In Boots: The Last Wish hits theaters nationwide on December 21, 2023.