It has been confirmed that Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters, The Crow) will be taking over the voice acting duties for the character of Combat Carl in Toy Story 5.
Carl Weathers (Rocky, The Mandalorian), the original voice actor for the determined action figure,sadly passed away in February 2024. Weathers voiced Combat Carl in the 2013 TV special Toy Story of Terror! and briefly in 2019's Toy Story 4.
The recasting of Combat Carl ensures the continuation of a beloved character within the Toy Story universe. Ernie Hudson is no stranger to voice acting, with credits in projects like Star Wars: The Bad Batch and Transformers Prime, making him a fitting successor to Weathers.
More recently, Buzz voice actor Tim Allen shared some news about the focus of the film, revealing that Toy Story 5 will be shining the spotlight on Jessie the cowgirl.
With Andrew Stanton, who co-wrote the original Toy Story and directed Finding Nemo, returning to the director's chair for Toy Story 5, and a surprising shift in focus towards cowgirl Jessie, the next installment promises to offer a fresh perspective while still delivering the heart and humor that fans have come to expect from the beloved Pixar franchise.
The reunion of Woody and Buzz, coupled with Jessie taking center stage and the addition of Ernie Hudson as Combat Carl, sets the stage for an intriguing new chapter in the lives of our favorite toys.
At D23, Andrew Stanton revealed some of the first details about the film, telling the audience, "Through the experiences of these toys, we've all learned about loyalty, belonging, and friendship. These characters have given us a unique perspective on growing up and navigating life."
"And in all of the Toy Story films, the job of the toys is to be there for their kid, and with Toy Story 5, the toy's job gets exponentially harder when our toy group goes head-to-head with what kids are obsessed with today- electronics!"
Later at the event, concept art was also shown, which featured the toys taking on an army of malfunctioning Buzz Lightyears.
Based on all of the reveals so far, it certainly sounds as if there are a lot of moving parts in Toy Story 5, but if anyone can weave together all of these seemingly disparate storylines, it's Andrew Stanton.