Toy Story 5 Proves It’s Time To Move On From Woody & Buzz

This article contains spoilers for Toy Story 5!Back in 2010, when Toy Story 3 gave us the perfect ending to what could be considered the greatest film trilogy of all time, not many people expected the franchise to continue on. Yet Toy Story 4 arrived nine years later and now we have Toy Story 5. Despite questions about whether or not the films should’ve been made, there’s no denying that they were strong movies from both a commercial and a critical standpoint.

Toy Story 4 won Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards and grossed over $1 billion, while Toy Story 5 has received very positive critical acclaim so far, and is off to a great start with its worldwide box office intake. It seems like, whether you think the franchise should’ve ended in 2010 or not, the film series will likely keep going as long as the people at Pixar can find interesting stories to tell. However, something about Toy Story 5 was very different from its predecessors.

For the first time, it felt like Woody and Buzz Lightyear, the main characters to this point, weren’t needed. In fact, there were early versions of the story that didn’t involve Woody at all. Instead, Toy Story 5 shifts to Jessie as the protagonist and it actually might’ve been the best move for the film and the future of the franchise.

Woody & Buzz Might Be The Worst Part Of Toy Story 5

A big reason why Toy Story movies have worked so well in the past is the bond between Woody and Buzz. Their story of going from enemies to friends in the original is touching and they’ve been there for each other through everything afterward. However, their roles in Toy Story 5 feels uninportant. Making Jessie the protagonist could work while still having a place for Woody and Buzz, yet they mostly feel shoehorned in for nostalgia’s sake.

Woody returns to his friends from his time helping lost toys when a simple act of miscommunication leads him to believe Jessie needs assistance. However, Jessie has already made Buzz her deputy, leading to the two having some playful banter and a bit of bickering about who the real deputy is. They go to try and find and help Jessie, yet their actions don’t really do much. Jessie comes to grips with her issues on her own and sets up the plan to help Bonnie on her own.

A lot of aspects of Toy Story 5 work, yet the inclusion of Woody and Buzz feels like it’s the worst aspect of it all. That’s a shame because the voice actors continue to do great work and these are beloved characters, yet they don’t feel essential to the story at all, making their appearance feel wasted.

Buzz & Woody Already Had Their Endings

Part of why Woody and Buzz don’t have a great story to tell in Toy Story 5 is that they already had two perfect conclusions. At the end of Toy Story 3, they said goodbye to Andy and went off to be Bonnie’s toys, which was a fitting ending. Toy Story 4 then added to that, with Woody and Buzz saying a tearful goodbye as Woody went off to stay with Bo Peep and Buzz stuck around with the rest of the toys.

That Toy Story 4 ending allowed Woody to find happiness and continue to be useful when he wasn’t being played with, which fit his story across the three movies. Buzz going from believing he was an actual space ranger to being one of the leaders of this group of toys is also a great ending for him. That’s where their stories should’ve stayed because bringing them back together just to bicker a bit didn’t feel like it mattered much and took away from their previous goodbyes.

Toy Story 5 Proved Jessie Is A Good Lead

One of the best things Toy Story 5 did was prove that the franchise could work without its usual duo of leads. Woody and Buzz have been the centerpiece of so much and as much as we love them, their stories are done, so putting Jessie at the forefront felt refreshing. Jessie proved that she could be a great lead as she’s the emotional core of this film, especially once it harkens back to her original owner, Emily.

Jessie has grown into a beloved character and allowing her this opportunity to shine was a nice change of pace for the franchise. It’s unclear if any other character could pull this off, but Jessie leading the way was a stroke of genius. Watching her come to understand that making sure Bonnie is happy is what’s most important, even if it comes at the expense of her not being played with anymore, is beautiful. Between that and learning that Emily named her daughter after her, Jessie is the heart of the story.

What Toy Story Should Focus On Going Forward

Again, the topic of whether or not Toy Story should continue as a franchise has been debated often. While it’s true that the original trilogy is perfect on its own, these sequels have proven that there are still very good stories to tell in the series, as neither film was poorly received. However, Toy Story 5 showed us that maybe the future doesn’t have to involve Woody and Buzz. If you take them out of Toy Story 5, the movie is still strong and might even be better.

The filmmakers have talked about wanting to give Bonnie her own trilogy similar to what Andy had, so Toy Story 6 is very possible. That said, it might be best for Toy Story to focus on spin-off tales. Lightyear tried it and flopped but that wasn’t a tale about toys. They could have separate stories, whether as a Disney+ special or through another medium, that put the likes of Jessie at the forefront. If there is a Toy Story 6, it might be best to keep Woody out of it completely.

His story is finished, and the more they bring him back, the less interesting he is and the worse his ending gets. Buzz is different since he’s still with the toys and has close ties to Jessie now. It’s difficult to totally push him aside, so he’d work better as a second to Jessie as the lead. Regardless, a future for Toy Story without Woody and Buzz at the center might sound odd, yet it’s likely the best course of action.

Release Date

June 19, 2026

Runtime

102 Minutes

Director

Andrew Stanton, Kenna Harris

Writers

Andrew Stanton, McKenna Jean Harris

Producers

Lindsey Collins, Jessica Choi

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  Tim Allen

  Buzz Lightyear (voice)