Summary

Conan O'Brien joins Toy Story 5 as Smarty Pants, possibly replacing Forky.
Forky should take a supporting role in Toy Story 5 due to his limited story potential.
Pixar aims to inject fresh humor and personalities into Toy Story 5, with O'Brien's comedic timing aiding in this.

Toy Story 5 is highly anticipated among fans of the Pixar franchise. Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the gang will return for one more adventure on June 19, 2026. Details about this movie are relatively scarce, except for the fact that Jessie will have a featured role in the plot this time around.

However, it was also confirmed that legendary comedian and television host Conan O'Brien will join the cast this time. He will play the character of Smarty Pants in Toy Story 5, which O'Brien has claimed is the best of them all. This allows Pixar to replace a character from the most recent installment.

Conan O'Brien's Character Should Replace Forky In Toy Story 5

Forky's Limits Were Explored In Full During Toy Story 4

Conan is set to play a character known as Smarty Pants, and while there's very little known about it at the moment, given the casting, fans are presuming that it will be a funny role. This is why Smarty Pants could replace Forky's spot in Toy Story 5. The plastic handmade spork was a new character in Toy Story 4, being voiced by Tony Hale, and at this point, it hasn't been confirmed whether or not he will be reprising the role this time around. While it would be easy to explain that he had been broken should he not return, Forky's prominence in the previous movie leads most people to believe he will be back in some capacity. However, Forky doesn't need to be shown at the same level as he was in Toy Story 4, where he was one of the main characters. Many other popular toys, such as Jessie, Rex, and even Buzz Lightyear, had to take a backseat for him, but there's now a chance that Conan's new role will replace him this time around in terms of being one of the main characters.

Forky can still play a role in Toy Story 5, but he is somewhat limited in terms of where he can go. Given that he isn't a real toy, there is only so far that he can be pushed compared to the other core character members, which happened in Toy Story 4. His story was all about learning that he was a toy and had an essential role in Bonnie's life, as opposed to being trash. That's something that was achieved, and now Pixar would be wise to just have Forky as another member of the gang who can provide a few one-liners without dictating tons of screentime. That opportunity can instead be handed to Smarty Pants, who might be able to offer something different this time around.

Pixar Will Want To Inject Fresh Personalities Into Toy Story 5

Conan O'Brien's Comedic Timing Will Make Smarty Pants Memorable

One of the reasons why the Toy Story franchise has been so successful and popular is the fact that Pixar has constantly added new characters in each movie. Whether it was Jessie and Bullseye in Toy Story 2 or the plethora of fresh toys added via the nursery and Bonnie's house in Toy Story 3 to Forky and the return of Bo Peep in Toy Story 4. Each film tends to have a couple of new characters who are pushed into prominent roles, and it appears that Smarty Pants might be ticking that box in Toy Story 5. That is why he will end up replacing Forky, as it's the natural way that Pixar tends to operate.

Having a character voiced by Conan also would be a perfect option for Pixar because he's known for his comedic timing. Over the years, he has built up a reputation for his humor, which lends itself nicely to voiceover work. Forky was the comedic relief within Toy Story 4, allowing the likes of Woody and Buzz to be slightly more serious for the most part, and that also lends itself nicely to taking up the spot that Forky might vacate.

Forky Should Only Be A Supporting Role In Toy Story 5

Smarty Pants Should Provide Fresh Humor In The New Pixar Film

Forky was popular with Toy Story fans as audiences enjoyed the fresh twist on the idea of what a toy is, as so many people do handmake different things such as this. However, pushing him to the same level would likely frustrate fans in Toy Story 5 as that story has already been told, and because this franchise means so much to people, there mustn't be a drop in quality. Simply repeating past storylines isn't something people will be willing to accept; therefore, shaking things up and bumping Forky down the pecking order for a new character would achieve that. Smarty Pants can potentially provide the same level of humor, or he could end up having a totally different personality. Either way, it will refresh Toy Story 5, and that's a positive sign for the film at this stage.

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