Toy Story 5 doesn't end when the credits start rolling, and much like previous efforts from Pixar, it rewards audiences who stay in their seats with not one, but two additional scenes. However, anyone expecting a major cliffhanger or a surprise tease for Toy Story 6 may be disappointed.
The movie's first stinger arrives in the middle of the credits and revisits the army of stranded Buzz Lightyear toys introduced earlier in the story. This comes after Taylor Swift's "I Knew It, I Knew You" plays over some still shots of what came next for Bonnie and her toys.
After revealing that they can take flight during the movie's final act, Toy Story 5 ends with the flock of Buzz figures descending on a playground. It's a happy ending for the toys, with children—and a teacher—excitedly getting their hands on the technologically advanced playthings.
However, Pixar throws in one last Easter Egg for fans when one of the kids is revealed to have an Emperor Zurg figure in their backpack. The franchise's main Buzz broke it to them that they're his son earlier in the movie, and it seems they're about to get acquainted with their dear old dad.
There isn't a post-credits scene as such, though we do get a brief musical interlude as the credits wrap up, with some of the toys dancing and singing Lilypad's friendship song together, led by Bad Bunny's Pizza With Sunglasses.
Neither sequence appears to hint at a sixth instalment, and that's probably by design. Toy Story 5 already marks an unexpected return for Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the gang after many fans viewed Toy Story 4 as the franchise's definitive conclusion, and any future instalments will likely serve as another bold reinvention of the series.
"A moving, hilarious, and unmissable addition to the Toy Story franchise," we wrote in our ComicBookMovie.com review, "Toy Story 5 is one of Pixar's most relevant movies and ranks among the studio's best efforts, proving you're never too old to love (these) toys."
The toys are back in Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 5, and this time it’s Toy meets Tech. Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the rest of the gang's jobs are challenged when they come face-to-face with Lilypad (Greta Lee), a brand-new tablet device that arrives with her own disruptive ideas about what is best for their kid, Bonnie. Will playtime ever be the same?
The movie is directed by Academy Award winner Andrew Stanton, co-directed by Kenna Harris, produced by Lindsey Collins, p.g.a., and written by Stanton and Harris from a story by Stanton. It also features an original score by Oscar-winner Randy Newman.
Toy Story 5 is now playing in theaters.