Disney announced plans for a new Toy Story movie earlier this year, but one of the major questions left unanswered was whether or not the franchise's two flagship characters, Woody and Buzz, would be returning. While we assumed they would be returning for the fifth installment, the ending of Toy Story 4 left us uncertain. Finally, we can confirm that both Woody and Buzz will be back in Toy Story 5.
When talking about the prospect of established IP versus original characters, Pixar boss Pete Doctor acknowledged that there is room for both types of movies to be made at Pixar. He briefly mentioned that Pixar is currently working on Inside Out 2 as well as another Toy Story.
"We’re doing a sequel to “Inside Out,” so you get to go back inside the mind of Joy and Sadness. We have another “Toy Story,” so Woody and Buzz are back," he said.
While he didn't elaborate any further on this, the simple fact that these two beloved characters will be back on the big screen should be enough to excite fans.
If you recall, Toy Story 4 felt like the perfect conclusion to Woody's story. Realizing that Bonnie is okay without him, Woody decides to stay with Bo as a "Lost Toy." He gives his badge to Jessie and shares an emotional and heartfelt goodbye with his friends before joining the "Lost Toys" and the traveling carnival.
We don't know how Pixar will write the return of Woody but Doctor previously told hinted to The Wrap that Toy Story 5 will be "surprising."
"I think it’ll be surprising. It’s got some really cool stuff that you haven’t seen before," he teased.
When news of Toy Story 5 broke, actor Tim Allen, the voice of Buzz, quickly took to social media to celebrate.
Allen, of course, was replaced by Chris Evans as the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the recent spin-off movie, Lightyear. While the recasting made sense plot-wise, as Evans portrayed the human version of Buzz Lightyear, many fans were disappointed and mostly confused with the recasting. Now that we are returning to the toy version of Buzz, Allen should be back as the main voice. Hopefully, Tom Hanks returns as Woody as well.