Pixar rounded up the usual suspects to be part of Toy Story 5, and one cast member’s return is a bit sweeter after a previous recast. The latest Toy Story movie once again sees Tom Hanks and Tim Allen at the forefront, as they’re providing the voices of Woody and Buzz Lightyear for another adventure.
With Toy Story 5 making Jessie the lead, Joan Cusack sees her fourth appearance in the series become the biggest. The rest of the cast includes familiar voices like John Ratzenberger (Hamm), Wallace Shawn (Rex), Blake Clark (Slinky Dog), and Annie Potts (Bo Peep). Newer additions like Tony Hale (Forky) and Bonnie Hunt (Dolly) are back, too, with Greta Lee, Conan O’Brien, and Alan Cummings among those making franchise debuts.
There are even a few instances of Toy Story 5 recasting key roles. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head have new voice actors, as does Bonnie. Even Combat Carl’s return is being done with a recast. It’s unusual for Pixar to recast Toy Story characters, and it’s unheard of for actors to come back after being replaced. But that’s exactly what is happening with one of Toy Story 5‘s biggest characters.
Andy’s Room · Tri-County Area How Well Do You Know Toy Story? “To infinity… and beyond!”
WoodyReach for the sky
BuzzInfinity & beyond
The AliensThe claaaw
ForkyI’m trash!
Andy’s ToysPlayed with love
01
When Pixar released Toy Story in November 1995, it didn’t just launch a franchise — it changed the medium forever. What historic distinction did the original film claim?
✓ Howdy, partner! Toy Story was the world’s first feature-length film made entirely with computer-generated imagery — eighty-one minutes of CG when nobody had done more than a few-minute short. John Lasseter received a Special Achievement Oscar for it. (Best Animated Feature didn’t exist as a category until 2001; no animated film has ever won Best Picture; and the first $1 billion film was Titanic, two years later.)
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is: first feature-length computer-animated film. Eighty-one minutes of pure CG in 1995, when nobody else had managed more than a short. John Lasseter received a Special Achievement Oscar for it. Best Animated Feature didn’t exist as a category until 2001, no animated film has won Best Picture, and Titanic was the first billion-dollar film two years later.
02
Sheriff Woody, Andy’s pull-string cowboy doll, has been voiced by the same Oscar-winning actor across all four Toy Story films — the role helping cement him as the unofficial voice of Pixar. Who is he?
✓ Howdy, partner! Tom Hanks has voiced Woody across all four Toy Story films, the spinoff shorts, and the Disney Parks. Tim Allen is his co-lead as Buzz Lightyear. Robin Williams was actually Pixar’s first choice for Buzz, but scheduling conflicts pushed him out — he later did the genie cameo in Lightyear. Steve Carell has never been in the franchise.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is Tom Hanks — Woody across every Toy Story film, short, and theme-park appearance. Tim Allen is the other half of the duo as Buzz Lightyear. Robin Williams was actually Pixar’s first choice for Buzz but had scheduling conflicts; Steve Carell has never been in the franchise.
03
Buzz Lightyear’s rallying cry is one of the most quoted lines in all of animation. He delivers it the moment he flips open his wrist communicator. Complete it: “To infinity…”
✓ Howdy, partner! “To infinity… and beyond!” The line got its own American Film Institute nod, was adopted (in slightly altered form) by an actual NASA mission, and even traveled to the International Space Station in 2008 on a real Buzz Lightyear action figure as part of an educational program. It’s the franchise’s most quoted line, hands down.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is “…and beyond!” Buzz’s tagline got an AFI nod, was adopted in spirit by NASA, and a real Buzz action figure even flew to the International Space Station in 2008 on a STEM education mission. It’s the most quoted line in the franchise.
04
The toys all live in the bedroom of a boy named Andy, whose name is written in marker on the bottom of each of their feet. What is Andy’s last name, shown on the family mailbox and on his college acceptance envelope?
✓ Howdy, partner! Andy Davis — his last name appears on the family mailbox, on the “Davis” minivan, and on the college envelope in Toy Story 3. His mom is Mrs. Davis (first name never officially revealed in-film, though a fan theory says “Emily,” aka Jessie’s old owner). Bonnie, the toys’ eventual new owner, has the last name Anderson.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is Davis. It’s on the family mailbox, the minivan, and Andy’s college envelope in Toy Story 3. Bonnie (who inherits the toys at the end of TS3) is Bonnie Anderson — close, but a different family.
05
“You’ve Got a Friend in Me” opens the first Toy Story and has been reprised in every sequel. The same singer-songwriter composed the score for all four films — one of Hollywood’s most decorated film composers. Who is he?
✓ Howdy, partner! Randy Newman wrote “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and scored every Toy Story film — he also did Monsters, Inc., A Bug’s Life, Cars, and The Princess and the Frog. He’s a 22-time Oscar nominee with two wins. Michael Giacchino is Pixar’s other regular (The Incredibles, Up, Inside Out), Menken is Disney’s Renaissance musical guy, and Zimmer handles Lion King territory.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is Randy Newman. He wrote “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and scored every Toy Story film (plus Monsters, Inc., Cars, and A Bug’s Life). Michael Giacchino is Pixar’s other regular composer (The Incredibles, Up, Inside Out); Alan Menken handled Disney’s Renaissance musicals; Hans Zimmer did The Lion King.
06
In Toy Story 3, the gang ends up at Sunnyside Daycare, where everything seems wonderful at first. The day-care’s leader is a pink plush bear who smells like strawberries and turns out to be the franchise’s darkest villain. What’s his name?
✓ Howdy, partner! Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear — “Lotso” for short — voiced by Ned Beatty. The backstory of how he ended up at Sunnyside (replaced by an identical bear after being left in the rain by his original owner) is one of the franchise’s saddest beats. Stinky Pete is the TS2 villain (Kelsey Grammer), Zurg is from TS2 as well, and Gabby Gabby is the TS4 antagonist who gets her redemption.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is Lotso — Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear, voiced by Ned Beatty. The TS3 reveal that he was replaced by an identical bear after his original owner left him in the rain is one of Pixar’s darkest beats. Stinky Pete is TS2 (Kelsey Grammer), Emperor Zurg is also TS2, and Gabby Gabby is the redemption-arc antagonist from TS4.
07
In Toy Story 4, Bonnie cobbles together a brand-new toy during a kindergarten arts-and-crafts session, sparking the whole plot when he wails “I’m trash!” and tries to throw himself away. What everyday utensil is Forky made from?
✓ Howdy, partner! Forky is a spork — with googly eyes, a popsicle-stick foot, pipe-cleaner arms, and a red plasticine mouth. He’s voiced by Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development), and his existential terror about being “trash” rather than a toy is the whole emotional engine of TS4. He got his own Disney+ shorts series after.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is a spork — with pipe-cleaner arms, googly eyes, and a popsicle-stick foot. He’s voiced by Tony Hale, and his “I’m trash!” meltdown is the heart of TS4. He even got his own Disney+ short series, Forky Asks a Question.
08
Toy Story 3 ends with one of the most emotionally devastating scenes Pixar has ever made: Andy, packing for college, hand-delivers his old toys to a new owner in her front yard and plays with them one last time. Who is she?
✓ Howdy, partner! Bonnie Anderson — the imaginative little girl Woody had met earlier in the film when she “adopted” him from her mom’s day-care lost-and-found. Andy goes through every toy with her one by one before driving off to college. It’s the franchise’s natural ending. Bonnie then becomes the toys’ new owner in Toy Story 4.
✗ Aw, shucks! The answer is Bonnie Anderson — the imaginative little girl Woody had encountered earlier in the film. Andy goes through every single toy with her, one by one, before leaving for college. She becomes the toys’ new owner for Toy Story 4. Molly is Andy’s little sister (she gives up Barbie in TS3, but never inherits the gang).
The Toys Have Spoken · Play Time Over Your Toy Box Verdict
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Andy’s favorite — or destined for the yard sale?
This is because Pixar recast Buzz for 2022’s Lightyear, with Chris Evans taking over the role that Tim Allen spent years making his own. The move caused plenty of confusion and backlash, in addition to raising questions about the original Buzz Lightyear voice actor’s future in the series. Thankfully, Allen is back as Buzz for Toy Story 5, with Pixar undoing the recasting next week when the movie hits theaters.
Why Tim Allen Voices Buzz In Toy Story 5 After Being Replaced For Lightyear
The reason for Buzz’s prior recasting had nothing to do with Allen’s ability to play the character, scheduling conflicts, or any off-screen drama. The reality is that Pixar never planned on using the original star for the 2022 spinoff movie because Lightyear is centered around a completely different version of the Star Command space ranger.
Lightyear was designed to be the movie that exists within the Toy Story universe that the Buzz Lightyear action figures were based on. That’s why aspects of the character and lore are different, as this isn’t a spinoff story focusing on the franchise’s main version of Buzz. That’s why Pixar never entertained having Allen star in Lightyear, as Evans was cast to create some separation from the main franchise.
Since Toy Story 5 returns viewers to the characters they’ve loved for over two decades, Allen’s return was guaranteed. It would not have made sense for Evans to take over voicing the space ranger permanently. The toy version of Buzz in Toy Story 5 is Allen’s character, so he had to reprise the role. Thankfully, the franchise veteran had no ill will toward Pixar for Lightyear and agreed to come back.
Toy Story 5 Had Made Tim Allen’s Buzz Lightyear Return Bigger Than Ever Before
Jessie, Buzz Lightyear, and Woody in Toy Story 5
When Allen delivers his next performance as Buzz in one week, it should more than make up for missing out on Lightyear. He’s not getting the chance to headline a new movie, as Evans received, but the veteran will still have more to do with Buzz than in any previous movie.
A portion of Toy Story 5 includes 50 versions of Buzz Lightyear. Allen provides the voice for each one. If each of the different Buzzes says something, the longtime franchise star will be responsible for voicing 51 different characters in the movie. Allen previously voiced two versions of Buzz in Toy Story 2, so he’s not unfamiliar with tackling multiple roles in the series; he’s just never done it to this extreme.
Intentionally or not, having Allen voice so many versions of Buzz in Toy Story 5 does feel like a reaction to Lightyear. It’s Pixar’s chance to make up for the prior mistake and make sure audiences know who is the real voice of the space ranger for now and into infinity and beyond.
