Summary

Toy Story 5 brings Woody back, igniting speculation on his reintegration and involvement with newer challenges.
The film's storyline focuses on technology posing a threat to traditional playtime, hinting at a deeper conflict.
Potential villains, arc protection, and character role transitions may shape Woody's return in Toy Story 5.

Disney and Pixar’s announcement of Toy Story 5 didn’t get the universal approval they might have hoped for, but it did get everyone buzzing about Woody’s return. The pull-string cowboy doll’s story seemingly gets good closure with each film, more decisively in the fourth, and yet he’s set to be brought in this fifth installment – arguably a sequel that no one really asked for.

Voiced by Tom Hanks, Woody’s return was imminent after Disney CEO Bob Iger announced sequels for Toy Story, Frozen, and Zootopia in February 2023. Pixar CCO Pete Docter confirmed it later, with Wall-E director Andrew Stanton leading the project, all set to release on June 19, 2026. In Toy Story 5, Woody and the gang confront a different playtime danger: technology, or more informally, today’s "iPad kids."

disney-pixar-toy-story-5-woody-buzz-jessie

Toy Story 5 Has A Better Conflict Than Toy Story 4

Toy Story 4's plot is pretty forgettable, and definitely doesn't stand out in the franchise. Toy Story 5, though, has found a more modern storyline.

Posts 6

By Kathleen Grotzinger

Woody’s Return in Toy Story 5

As it stands, Toy Story 4 ends with Woody embracing his new life as a Lost Toy as he stays behind with his ladylove, Bo Peep. The cowboy said an emotional goodbye to Bonnie’s toys and handed over his sheriff’s badge to Jessie. It also marked the end of animated cinema’s most iconic friendship – the Woody and Buzz Lightyear duo. Or so it seemed until the recent concept art reveal.

Woody's return in Toy Story 5 doesn’t sit well, since it seems like he never really left. At last month’s D23 Expo, the director revealed the movie’s "toys vs. Tech" narrative, with a first-look image virtually confirming Woody had reunited with the gang. While the reason for his return is unclear and mostly for practical purposes, the real question now is how Woody found his way back.

Can Woody Help the Toys Save Playtime?

disney-lorcana-pixar-cards-world-championship

At the end of Toy Story 4, the rest of the toys return to Bonnie, and now they might face an Andy situation all over again. A grown-up owner means the toys would have to find a new home, and possibly cross paths with Woody along the way. Moreover, the child in the Toy Story 5 concept art choosing an iPad-like device over toys could be Bonnie herself. So, the toys could go back to the carnival to seek Woody’s help to get them out of this situation.

The cowboy could turn Messiah not just for his toy friends, but for the bigger quest to save playtime from going extinct in a screen-addicted world. Apart from the “iPad kid” concept, D23 Expo also revealed an image of 50 rogue Buzz Lightyear toys, likely the villains of Toy Story 5. Woody could run into one of these evil Buzzes and mistake it for his old friend. Ultimately, it would lead him back to the real Buzz and get him unwillingly involved in their problems.

What Would Bring Woody Back?

A promotional image of Woody and Buzz Lightyear from the original Toy Story.

Woody and Bo Peep’s relationship also affects how he gets reintroduced to the gang. Pixar might just take a mature approach and show the couple drifting apart as they want different things in life. The first Toy Story movie came out in 1995 and the original audience has grown up along the way. A similar theme made Toy Story 3 click, when Andy left his toys and went to college – a universally relatable core memory while growing up. Or, they could just simplify things and write Bo out of the story again with no explanation.

With Disney, there’s always room for a wild retcon to bring back a character. The Woody seen in the concept art could even be a new toy Bonnie buys, just like how Toy Story 2 featured multiple Buzz Lightyear toys. But this would contradict the same movie, which showed Woody as a rare collectible. Speaking of which, Al from Al’s Toy Barn could return as a villain and try to reclaim Woody to make up for his losses. Another alternative villain is an adult, job-going version of Sid from the first Toy Story movie, who runs into Woody and has his old memories triggered.

Disney Must Protect Woody’s Arc

One thing the writers should most definitely avoid is having Bonnie return the toys to Andy when he comes back from college. A retcon like this would ruin the wholesome, bittersweet ending of Toy Story 3. A better option would be a subtle nod to Andy towards the end, perhaps letting him gift the toys to his own children in the future, though even that might be a stretch.

Each Toy Story movie has always been about what Woody realizes in the end – whether it’s accepting that he’s no longer Andy’s favorite toy, realizing toys are meant for play and not display, or letting go of their owners to choose their own path. Disney and Pixar have to tread carefully with his character development here. Bringing back Sheriff Woody for Toy Story 5 might seem important, but it shouldn’t undo his older, heartfelt cathartic moments.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image