Toy Story 5 is in the works. At least, that is what CEO Bob Iger confirmed in Disney’s recent Q1 earnings call, alongside Frozen 3, and Zootopia 2. As expected, fans are divisive with the news. Whereas some lament a new entry in the series as a cash-grab opportunity, others are happy to learn that their favorite characters for the franchise are making a comeback. What we do know is that the movie will take some time before hitting movie theaters, probably, not before 2027.
Another important piece of information about Toy Story 5 that we know is that Tim Allen, the original Buzz Lightyear, will be reprising his role to infinity and beyond. The actor also hinted at Tom Hanks’ return to voice Woody, the beloved toy cowboy, something Hans hasn’t yet confirmed or denied. Still, as far as we know, the only confirmed character so far is our favorite space ranger.
Buzz Lightyear’s return raises the question of whether the movie will give him a leading role for the fifth installment. Toy Story 3 and 4 gave him his fair share of screen time but not as much as Woody, the seemingly true protagonist of the franchise. Maybe Toy Story 5 is Buzz’s time to shine, and he could be doing so with a story arch already designed for the Star Command member.
The Toy Story 3 That Never Happened
Back in 2004, when Pixar wasn’t part of Disney yet, Mickey’s company was planning a threequel for the successful Toy Story franchise. This movie would have been a direct-to-video home release. This meant that Toy Story 3 was considered a lesser important continuation of the series which didn’t deserve the same funds as the former two as well as a cinematic release.
The plot revolved around Buzz Lightyear starting to malfunction. This would lead the toys to send him back to Taiwan (the place where it was made) for repair until they realized the plan was to take malfunctioning toys out of the market for good. This triggered the gang to go to Buzz’s rescue. The canceled third movie would have included multiple callbacks and cameos from the previous films. Nevertheless, a couple of details from it were recycled for the threequel that did see the light.
In many senses, the plot had multiple similarities with Toy Story 2, but this time, the damsel in distress was Buzz instead of Woody. Still, two films later, the canceled story has an interesting new worth that could perfectly be reused for part of Toy Story 5.
The Toy Story 4 Ending Completed Woody's Story
If Toy Story 3 closed Andy’s story arch, then Toy Story 4 does the same for Woody. After a life of loyalty to his previous owner and coming to terms with not being truly part of Bonnie’s toys, Woody finds himself by reuniting with Bo Peep and becoming a “lost toy.” It seems only fair that a new entry gives proper closure to Buzz Lightyear, which might not be as stellar as Woody, but he’s at least the main sidekick, to say the least.
The malfunctioning plot would make perfect sense given that many years have gone by since Buzz was a new toy. Furthermore, a hotter social media agenda on the hazards of having a Buzz Lightyear at home could trigger the character being sent by Bonnie’s parents (or whoever owns the toys by then), amidst the scare of a sensationalized media campaign. This would give Jessie (Joan Cusack) reasons to lead the toy gang and an excuse to look for Woody, the only one who can guide them to their old friend.
Finding the cowboy to go on a quest is probably a perfect first act, leaving a second act for the voyaging eastward. Taiwan, or any other Asian country, would also be a very interesting setting to send the franchise to new horizons (and a great excuse for Pixar to work their magic on animating some new scenarios). A third and final act would conclude with Buzz finding a new home. Just like Woody found his new troupe in Toy Story 4, it’s time for Buzz to find a bigger purpose, something that got a little lost in the last two movies. The unmade Toy Story 3 had a set of characters that the space ranger met along the way, so it would make perfect sense that they would be the ones to give new meaning to his life as a lost toy.
In the end, everything falls into the territory of speculation, but focusing a fifth movie on Buzz Lightyear would be a wise choice. Lightyear didn’t perform as the studio expected, and the jury is still out on whose the best Buzz Lightyear. Furthermore, another movie on Woody could strike as excessive for the audience, having been the main focus in the past entries. The astronaut toy is the obvious next in line, and the movie will eventually go into production, so we should expect more information on how the story goes in the next few years. In the meantime, maybe the original Toy Story 3 wasn’t a bad idea after all...