Toy Story 5will see the franchise further expand with Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and other familiar characters returning.Toy Story 5’s storywill see the toys contending with the challenges of modern technology and the hold that such devices have over Bonnie, as teased in concept art showing her playing with a tablet instead of her toys. Interestingly, the highly anticipated sequel’s plot will also incorporate an army of Buzz Lightyear toys stuck in toy mode.
Woody and Buzzare, unsurprisingly, confirmed to be returning forToy Story 5as they have been at the center of the franchise. Jessie appeared in the sequel’s announcement video and concept art, all but guaranteeing her return, along with Bullseye, Forky, Hamm, Rex, and Slinky Dog also appearing in the concept art. While these characters are confirmed or expected to appear,Toy Story 5can also bring back other familiar characters who can enhance the franchise’s newest installment.
Toy Story 5 Is Bringing The Story To A Perfect Full Circle Moment, Explaining Why We Need One More Movie
Disney has teased the plot and central conflict of Toy Story 5, potentially bringing Woody & Buzz’s story full circle and to a satisfying close.
10Andy
Last Movie Appearance: Toy Story 4 (Flashbacks)
Given Andy’s deeply satisfying andemotional ending inToy Story 3, it could be difficult to bring his character back inToy Story 5.Toy Story 4navigated around this issue with flashbacks showing happy memories of a younger Andy playing with his beloved toys. InToy Story 5, it would be intriguing to see how Andy’s life has progressed since he gifted his toys to Bonnie inToy Story 3and what would happen if he sees his old toys again.
If Andy does not appear inToy Story 5, it would be the franchise’s first feature film that does not feature him despite his integral role in the overarching narrative. This is not a compelling enough reason for Andy to return, though.Toy Story 5needs to have a strong story reason to bring Andy backthat will push the franchise forward without underminingToy Story 3’s ending. If that can be done, Andy’s return will be incredibly exciting.
9Bo Peep
Last Movie Appearance: Toy Story 4
After being absent fromToy Story 3, Bo Peep returned toToy Story 4with her most prominent and well-developed story yet in the franchise.Toy Story 4’s ending saw Woody staying with Bo Peep while Buzz, Forky, and the majority of the other toys returned to Bonnie. It remains to be seen how or why Woody will presumably reunite with the other toys and go back to Bonnie, but that story cannot work unless Bo Peep is part of it.
Her absence inToy Story 5would feel like an even more glaring omission than it did inToy Story 3,however.
Toy Story 4did Bo Peep justice, finally giving her agency and making her as fleshed out as some of the other main toys. Her absence inToy Story 5would feel like an even more glaring omission than it did inToy Story 3, however. Bo Peep does not need to live a life where she is owned by a specific child again, as the adventurous, free-spirited path suits her better, but the newest sequel should feature her and address her journey sinceToy Story 4’s conclusion.
8Babyface
Last Movie Appearance: Toy Story
While theToy Storyfranchise features many recurring toys, none of Sid’s toys, including Babyface, have appeared in the series since the original film. It would be fascinating to see how Babyface and the other toys have evolved since terrifying Sid all those years ago. As an individual created by Sid brutally destroying and fusing parts of various toys together,Babyface and Sid’s other toys had to learn how to adapt, a skill that could be useful to teach inToy Story 5.
Sid briefly appears as a garbage disposal worker inToy Story 3.
Adaptation will be more important than ever inToy Story 5as the toys grapple with being discarded in favor of technology. Babyface has plenty to teach Woody, Buzz, and the other toys about adapting, and how to survive in a difficult situation. Sid was briefly featured in aToy Story 3cameo, and now is a good opportunity to bring back Babyface, as well as some of his other toys for the first time since the firstToy Storywas released in 1995.
7Emperor Zurg
Last Movie Appearance: Toy Story 3 (Credits Scene)
WithToy Story 5featuring an army of Buzz Lightyears stuck in toy mode, the sequel seems like a perfect opportunity to bring back Buzz’s archnemesis, Emperor Zurg. These Buzz Lightyears will not understand that Zurg is a toy and will believe him to be a real galactic emperor wielding enormous power. Other thanLightyear, Zurg’s last major role in theToy Storyfranchise was inToy Story 2, making the conflict between the toy versions of Buzz and Zurg long overdue.
A Zurg toy was last seen being donated to Sunnyside Daycare during an end credits scene inToy Story 3. More Zurg was also teased during aLightyearpost-credits scene, hinting at a sequel that never came to fruition afterLightyear’s disappointing box office performance. Even thoughLightyear 2is not happening,Zurg’s story can continue inToy Story 5as a natural opponent for the army of Buzz Lightyears, perhaps with an army of Zurgs stuck in toy mode as well.
6RC Car
Toy Story 5will explore the toys being neglected in favor of modern technology, but it would be remiss to not acknowledge that many of the toys are the products of older technology. A great example of this is RC, a remote-controlled toy race car that wasone of Andy’s toysin the earlierToy Storyfilms. RC is part of the iconic sequence that culminates with Woody and Buzz flying and was still among Andy’s toys duringToy Story 2.
RC briefly appeared inToy Story 3in the homemade videos of Andy playing with his toys, but was otherwise absent in the threequel. He returned via flashback inToy Story 4when the toys saved him from being stuck outside in a rainstorm.Toy Story 5can reveal what happened to RC since his last present-day appearance inToy Story 2. More importantly for the story, RC can bring some nuance to the exploration of traditional toys versus technology, and that it is not a simple matter of technology being good or bad.
5Wheezy
Last Movie Appearance: Toy Story 3 (Flashbacks)
Wheezy was an important character inToy Story 2, with Woody’s mission to save the toy penguin inadvertently leading the cowboy toy to being kidnapped by Al. At the end ofToy Story 2, Wheezy memorably sings “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” with his new and improved squeaker. InToy Story 3, he was among the toys Woody mentioned having been given away or sold during yard sales, although Wheezy could be seen in the home videos from Andy’s childhood.
Toy Story 5can address what happened to Wheezy after the events ofToy Story 2. While Wheezy might simply belong to a new kid who loves him, there is something dissatisfying about the character having been potentially sold in a yard sale after Woody saved him from this fate earlier in the series.Toy Story 5can provide some closure on this matter, with Woody undoubtedly being overjoyed by seeing Wheezy again and knowing that his old friend is safe.
4Mr. Pricklepants
Mr. Pricklepants is one of Bonnie’s original toys, first introduced inToy Story 3when Bonnie first brought Woody home.Mr. Pricklepants also appeared inToy Story 4while Andy’s former toys adapted to life alongside Bonnie’s original toys. Since Mr. Pricklepants is a thespian with a penchant for delivering dramatic monologues, he is the ideal character to deliver an oration about the dire circumstances of children choosing their tablets and other technology over their more traditional toys.
The humorous nature of Mr. Pricklepants and the way he treats everything like a stage performance makes his character well-suited to articulating some of the story’s themes and overarching questions in an entertaining and accessible way. He is also needed to ensure that Bonnie’s original toys are not too overlooked or forgotten. Andy’s former toys are naturally at the forefront of the story, but Mr. Pricklepants and the other originals should still have opportunities to be spotlighted.
3Molly
Andy would be the most exciting human character to see make a return, but having his sister, Molly, back in the story could also be compelling. Just as Andy grew up during the original trilogy, so did Molly, as she went from being a baby in the first film to being a tween inToy Story 3, along withToy Story 4showing a younger version of her via the opening flashbacks.Molly will likely be a teenager whenToy Story 5begins, no longer in the tween stage of life.
While Molly will no longer be playing with toys, like Bonnie, she may be struggling to find the balance between using modern technology and disconnecting from it inToy Story 5. Bonnie could show the effects of excessive technology use on younger children, while Molly could show the effects it has on teenagers. This can help demonstrate that it is a ubiquitous issue that individuals face regardless of their current age.
2Ducky & Bunny
Voiced by comedic duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele,Ducky and Bunny proved to be hilarious additions to the franchise inToy Story 4. In addition to their banter, part of the characters' appeal is how vividly and enthusiastically they describe absurd scenarios, which are made even better by playing out on screen. It would be a missed opportunity for them not to return inToy Story 5after providing some of the most memorable humor inToy Story 4.
The absurd scenarios they describe could be made even better with the story’s focus on modern technology, along with the ridiculous plans Ducky and Bunny might suggest about how to get Bonnie to stop obsessing over her tablet.
Ducky and Bunny were last seen staying at the carnival alongside Woody and Bo Peep, focused on helping lost toys find children who will love them. Whatever Woody’s journey ends up being inToy Story 5, Ducky and Bunny should be part of it. The absurd scenarios they describe could be made even better with the story’s focus on modern technology, along with the ridiculous plans Ducky and Bunny might suggest about how to get Bonnie to stop obsessing over her tablet.
1Duke Caboom
Keanu Reeves is best known for his roles inThe MatrixandJohn Wickfranchises, but he also made his mark on theToy Storyfranchise by voicing Duke Caboom. Debuting inToy Story 4, Duke is a Canadian toy who is supposed to be a daredevil and stuntperson, even though he struggles to perform the stunts he is supposed to be able to do. After making a seemingly impossible jump with his motorcycle, Duke chooses to stay with Woody, Bo Peep, Ducky, and Bunny.
Duke can be incorporated into Woody’s story inToy Story 5. The Canadian daredevil overcame his insecurities in the previous film, butDuke may now be faced with new insecurities given the things he cannot do that modern technology can. From Duke to Babyface,Toy Story 5can bring back many familiar characters, not only fromToy Story 4, but from the earlier films, making the franchise continue to feel cohesive and interconnected.
Toy Story 5
Cast
Toy Story 5 follows Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the gang as they confront a new challenge to playtime posed by advanced technology. Set to release in 2026, this installment continues the beloved Toy Story series with its familiar cast facing modern dilemmas.
