The Toys are Back (Again): Why the Toy Story 5 Trailer Proves We Can’t Have Nice Things

Dust off your cowboy boots and charge your iPads, because Disney just dropped the official Toy Story 5 trailer, and it’s exactly what you’d expect from a franchise that refuses to stay in the toy box. After 2019’s Toy Story 4 supposedly gave Woody a definitive, tear-jerking sunset, Pixar has decided to pull him back from his "lost toy" retirement for another existential crisis. This time, the enemy isn't a creepy doll or a bitter teddy bear, it’s the glowing rectangle currently glued to your hand.

Plot Twist: It’s Toys vs. Tech

The new footage confirms a long-rumored premise: Toy meets Tech. Our veteran plastic heroes are facing the ultimate 21st-century nightmare: being replaced by electronics. The trailer introduces Lilypad, a high-tech, frog-shaped smart tablet voiced by Past Lives star Greta Lee. Lilypad is the shiny new distraction in Bonnie’s life, threatening to make Woody, Buzz, and Jessie as obsolete as a flip phone.

But wait, wasn't Woody living his best life as a nomadic free spirit with Bo Peep? Apparently, loyalty (or perhaps just Disney’s box office quotas) brings him back to the gang. The trailer teases a massive "realignment" between Woody and Buzz, including an opening scene involving a literal army of 50 malfunctioning Buzz Lightyear units stuck in "toy mode."

New Faces and Recycled Voices

While Tom Hanks andTim Allen return to reclaim their crowns as the voices of Woody and Buzz, the cast is getting a few "smart" upgrades. Alongside Greta Lee’s Lilypad, we’re getting Conan O’Brien as "Smarty Pants," a toilet-training tech toy that sounds exactly as chaotic as you’d imagine.

There are also some bittersweet changes. Following the passing of Don Rickles, it appears Mr. Potato Head has been officially recast with veteran voice actor Jeff Bergman. It’s a necessary move, but for those of us who grew up with Rickles’ iconic snark, it’s a reminder that even toys can’t stay young forever.

Can Pixar Catch Lightning in a Bottle a Fifth Time?

Directing this plastic-and-silicon showdown is Andrew Stanton, the Pixar legend behind Finding Nemo and WALL-E. Stanton has publicly defended the fifth installment, noting that while the "Andy years" are over, the world of Toy Story is about "time and change."

The visuals are undeniably stunning, expect the usual Pixar polish, but with a new, neon-lit digital aesthetic as the toys venture into "data worlds." Whether this is a meaningful exploration of modern childhood or a high-budget lecture on screen time remains to be seen, but the nostalgia factor is high enough to make even the most cynical adult reach for a tissue.

Toy Story 5 is set to hit theaters on June 19, 2026. Between a balding Woody (yes, look closely at the trailer) and a tablet villain, Pixar is clearly aiming for our millennial heartstrings while trying to stay relevant for the "iPad kid" generation.

Does the world actually need a Toy Story 5, or should Pixar have let Woody stay retired with Bo Peep? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!