Disney Pixar released the first full trailer for Toy Story 5, set to lasso its way into Cineworld cinemas on 19th June. Having left Woody to help the “lost toys”, Jessie, Buzz, and the rest of Bonnie’s toys must face their biggest challenge yet: screentime.
But what is Toy Story without Woody? Well, spoiler alert, he will return for Avengers: Doomsday Toy Story 5, with the new trailer revealing how and why he reunites with Buzz and the rest of the gang. And the new trailer proves to all naysayers why this fifth instalment is essential with all there is still left to say.
Toy Story 3’s ending seemed like the final chapter, and then there was Toy Story 4…
As Andy headed off to college in 2010’s Toy Story 3, this certainly felt like the natural – even perfect – ending to our time with Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and co as they started their new life with Bonnie. So when Toy Story 4 was announced, fans were concerned it might have been a case of having too much of a good thing.
The emotional ending as Woody chooses to stay with Bo Peep, and break the cycle of being played with then discarded, seemed like an even more poignant and apt ending as we acknowledged these familiar, beloved characters as more than just toys.
Bidding farewell to Buzz, Woody’s focus turns to helping lost toys find new children to love them. It was emotional, but we can collectively agree it felt like the book was firmly closed.
But, but! The new trailer for Toy Story 5 has me convinced that there was always going to be another chapter – and, actually, that we as the fans need it.
Woody, Buzz, and the gang are aging – and so are their fans
It’s a tale as old as time. Whenever we talk about Disney and/or Pixar movies, there’s always a collective agreement that these stories are as much for the older fans, who were there during the great Disney renaissance in the early 90, as the new ones. That, while new titles educate the next generation on what makes a great family movie, it's the adults taking them that these films are truly for. And, from the first trailer, Toy Story 5 feels like a direct acknowledgement of that.
First things first, Woody shows physical signs of aging. Yes, we have reached the point where this cowboy has a bald spot. And while it’s quickly become a bit of a meme, it does resonate with those of us who were literal babies when the first film came out and now are fully grown, some of us with babies of our own.
can't believe we got bald woody before GTA 6#ToyStory5 pic.twitter.com/jQduLBDhJa
— Cineworld (@cineworld) February 19, 2026
It’s kind of like in Toy Story 2 when Wheezy lost his squeak, except we were all still spring chickens then, so it didn’t quite hit in the same way.
Toy Story 5 highlights today’s parenting conundrums
Jessie and Buzz might feel like playtime is a ticking time bomb with the arrival of Bonnie’s new toy, a tablet named Lilypad, but what this also represents is the realities of parenting right now. The rise of screentime, whether or not you’re a bad parent for allowing it, and all the scary realities that come with young people entering into the online world.
Of course, Pixar is going to keep this all fairly light touch. We don’t need to wade into the much darker threats from internet misuse. But it does show a battle parents today are wrestling with as they bring up their kids, as more and more children would rather stare at their devices than play make believe with their dolls or run outside and explore.
Parents can sit back, enjoy a taste of nostalgia, and find something on screen that resonates closely with their own timeline. And hey, maybe seeing all the toys going through this crisis of change will inspire your kids to pick up their own?
Woody and Buzz are back to their same old rivalry
Through all the turmoil of being forgotten, donated, and fighting against toys turned bad, Woody and Buzz’s dynamic has changed a lot since their initial rivalry in the first film. Apart from a spell as Spanish Buzz, the spaceranger has softened a lot and he and Woody have got on fairly swimmingly. Which, of course, is lovely to see, but there was definitely something spikey and antagonistic in their friendship at the beginning that we miss.
Well, good news, looks like the old Woody and Buzz are back and bickering like an old married couple – and the rest of the toys are happy to see it too. At the end of the trailer, Mr Potato Head says, “It’s good to see them fighting again,” to which Slinky agrees, “It sure is.” Again, I think this speaks to our need for nostalgia and the comfort we find in it, and Toy Story 5 will deliver.
Between Toy Story 5, Hoppers, and two Marvel movies, we're so excited for all these upcoming Disney films.
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