Just when it seemed Ellen DeGeneres had quietly stepped away from the spotlight for good she’s making a surprising and nostalgic comeback returning as the voice of Dory in a brand-new short film set in the beloved Finding Nemo universe.
The project currently in its early stages of development remains largely under wraps. However, DeGeneres herself confirmed the news via Instagram, expressing her excitement and signaling a return many believed would never happen.
Dory, the endearingly forgetful blue tang fish first captured global audiences in Finding Nemo, a cinematic milestone that not only achieved massive commercial success but also won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
The character later took center stage in Finding Dory, a box office phenomenon that crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide.
This upcoming short film marks DeGeneres’ first acting credit since the 2021 Pixar Popcorn mini-series, making her return particularly significant given her time away from the entertainment industry.
After concluding The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2022 amid widely reported workplace controversy, DeGeneres stepped back from public life. In 2024, she relocated to the English countryside with her wife, Portia de Rossi, opting for a more private lifestyle.
She later addressed the controversy in her Netflix stand-up special Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval, where she used her signature humor to reflect on her career and public perception. At the time, she had suggested that the special might be her final appearance on screen.
However, her return as Dory suggests otherwise. While further details about the short film have yet to be revealed, her comeback to one of animation’s most beloved characters has already generated excitement marking a notable and unexpected return to the screen.
