Toy Story 5 Must Give These 2 Characters Bigger Roles To Avoid A Pixar Sequel Problem

With Toy Story 5 confirmed for a 2026 release, the fourth sequel in the Pixar film series needs to focus on two characters who have been used very sparingly so far. While the Toy Story 5 cast hasn’t yet been formally announced, it would make sense for this duo to return for the upcoming project after Toy Story 4‘s ending. While there’s never been a shortage of colorful and exciting characters in the Toy Story franchise, the 2026 effort risks falling into a common trap if it isn’t careful.

Pixar sequels seem to be the best source of revenue for the animation studio in recent years, with new stories not performing particularly well at the box office. While 2023’s Elemental eventually turned a profit, it was a slow burner and fell very short of Pixar’s highest earners. Before Elemental, 2017’s Coco was the last non-sequel Pixar movie to be a box office smash. All the Toy Story movies have done very well financially, so the fifth will likely flourish too. However, it also needs to be mindful of always looking to the future.

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Ducky & Bunny Need More Screen Time In Toy Story 5

Key & Peele’s Toy Story 4 characters were a highlight of the movie

Toy Story 4 was a deeply emotional affair, but it also maintained the franchise’s comedic elements. The funniest moments in the movie came from Ducky and Bunny, who were voiced by the legendary comedy duo, Key and Peele. The zany plushies felt very much like characters their voice artists would play in their live-action sketch show, and they were brilliantly suited to the Toy Story universe. In the next movie, Pixar needs to give them more chances to bring about belly laughs from the audience.

While the upcoming movie being the series’ stopping point isn’t confirmed, it’s possible that Toy Story 5 could end the franchise. The third and fourth movies have already given fans two tear-jerking conclusions, so a third that once again doesn’t serve as the story’s final ending could mean retreading old ground. If so, it would be a shame for Ducky and Bunny to be limited to just a few moments of comedic brilliance.

Toy Story 5 Needs Ducky & Bunny To Prove The Series Isn’t Repeating Itself

Ducky & Bunny can stop the 2026 sequel from becoming a nostalgia trap

There’s no denying that a huge number of those who will go to see Toy Story 5 will be existing fans of the franchise, and many will have seen the first movie as children. So, nostalgia will be a powerful tool during the marketing process. However, relying too much on this factor could result in the upcoming sequel being too similar to previous Toy Story movies. By giving Ducky and Bunny larger roles, Pixar can prove that it doesn’t need to lean on more time-honored characters for Toy Story 5 to be successful.

Toy Story 5

Toy Story 5 is the fifth entry in the Toy Story movie franchise by Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios. The film was announced on February 8 2023, along with several other major Disney animation sequels. For the film, Tim Allen reprises his role as the space-faring toy, Buzz Lightyear, once again.