Summary
- Woody is portrayed as potentially jealous in Toy Story 5, clashing with Buzz over his new role.
- Fans are concerned about Woody being portrayed negatively in the movie, risking new fans' dislike.
- Altering Woody's character development in Toy Story 5 may make him unlikable and disrupt the franchise's legacy.
Toy Story 5 will follow the journey of Pixar's most beloved characters, taking the story to the next level after Toy Story 4. The details about the overall movie and its plot are being kept quiet for the most part, but Pixar is slowly starting to reveal key aspects ahead of its release in 2026.
One of the most significant question marks that audiences have had is about Woody and how he will end up being involved in Toy Story 5. At the end of the previous movie, he left Buzz Lightyear and the gang in an emotional farewell, and the details about his role in the film have people worried about how he will be portrayed.
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What Details About Woody Have Been Revealed For Toy Story 5?
Pixar Appears To Be Making Woody Jealous In This Movie
Woody might have left the gang in Toy Story 4, but it was always going to be impossible to keep him out of any future movie within this franchise. ScreenRant revealed details about an exclusive presentation they attended earlier this month, where Disney provided some details about Woody and how he will be involved. That's going to come via Jesse, who asks him for help when dealing with the villain of the movie, Lily Pad. How she makes that happen is unclear at this stage, but it has also been confirmed that Woody will be butting heads with Buzz, which is a situation that fans have seen before. However, they didn't see eye to eye in the original movie, and most fans presumed that they were simply best friends by this point in time.
The fact that Woody is making a grand return only to argue with Buzz is something that has people concerned, as it seems like he will be portrayed as jealous. For a long time, Woody has been the leader of this group of toys, being the person to whom everyone looks up. However, after he leaves to be with Bo Peep, he gets replaced by Jesse, and that might not sit right with him. While Woody might not like the idea, the possibility of portraying him differently is something that Toy Story fans are equally concerned about.
Portraying Woody In This Way Might Make Him Seem Unlikable
There's A Risk Pixar Will Turn New Fans Against Him
As a character, Woody has always been known to whine and complain. While his heart is always in the right place, he can be quick to frustration, which has led to him butting heads with various characters along the way. However, his intentions have always been pure, allowing him to be seen as the hero and lead character of the entire franchise. However, the details that are being revealed are risky as they may potentially showcase Woody in a negative light this time around, to the point where audiences might find him unlikable. That would be a huge mistake, given how beloved he is as a character and the sheer amount of investment that has taken place in him.
Given how long the gap will be between Toy Story 5's release and the 1996 original, there will be many brand-new fans experiencing the Toy Story franchise for the first time with this movie. Even if they've seen the others at points, this is the one they will go to the theatres to watch, making it a transformative moment for them. However, those fans won't have the same allegiance and connection to Woody as those who have grown up with the Toy Story movies, and that could lead to them instantly turning against Andy's favorite toy and finding him annoying. That's not something that should happen in this movie, as it would hurt Woody within the film and frustrate many old-school fans who love Woody as a character.
Woody Should Always Be A Beloved Part Of Toy Story
Pixar Seems To Be Taking Him Backwards As A Character in Toy Story 5
Woody has played such a pivotal role in building the Toy Story franchise and making it what it is today that altering his personality in this way would be a shame. Pixar has done a great job developing Woody over the movies, going from someone extremely self-conscious of his position in the gang to where he was in Toy Story 4. He goes above and beyond to help Forky, making him a key part of the group with everyone else by the end. That showed the full circle nature of his character, yet the way he's being portrayed in Toy Story 5 would take him right back to the start, which would ruin that journey. It's one of the big worries fans have about Pixar making another Toy Story movie, in that the characters might be altered too much to make it work. Unfortunately, that appears to be the case here, with Woody seemingly suffering in Toy Story 5 just to get him back in the story.
Toy Story 5
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- June 19, 2026
- Director
- Andrew Stanton
- Writers
- Andrew Stanton
- Producers
- Pete Docter
Cast
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Tom HanksWoody (Voice) -
Tim AllenBuzz Lightyear (voice) -
Joan CusackJessie (voice) -
Ernie HudsonCombat Carl (voice)