Crazy: A Buzz Lightyear Army in Toy Story 5! – Movie Preview

In what seemed to be a farewell forever, Woody and Buzz went their separate ways at the end of "Toy Story 4". And many people thought: It's about time. The legendary duo have come a long way and have more than earned their retirement.

But no: Pixar has other plans! "Toy Story 5" is in the midst of production and there are finally some concrete details. And it looks like we'll be seeing even more of the heroes than originally thought! So welcome to our new movie preview.

A First Teaser: The Evil Buzz Lightyear Army

At the D23 Expo in Brazil, the first teaser for "Toy Story 5" was revealed, hinting at a dark story detail. It showed a whole bunch of evil Buzz Lightyears, gathered together to form a true army.

At the event, Pixar disclosed that the movie will feature an armada of iconic astronaut figures that were originally discarded due to manufacturing defects. Apparently, these were simply dumped somewhere in the wild – likely with terrible consequences.

The concept art suggests that "Toy Story 5" will take a darker turn in parts. That wouldn't be the first time for the series. But of course, it still won't be a horror movie – after all, it's meant to appeal to a younger audience as well.

Gloomy Theories About The Plot

The idea of discarded Lightyear figures matches a story theory we reported on some time ago. It's based on a storyline that was originally considered for "Toy Story 3". In it, Buzz Lightyear is sent back to his manufacturer in Taiwan due to a malfunction. The other toys then need to go on a dangerous journey to rescue him. In the old "Toy Story 3" draft, there were already additional Star Command figures, including Daxx Blastar, who was meant to replace Buzz. He had a feline companion named Comet – an idea that was later revisited in the movie "Lightyear" with the robot cat Sox.

Buzz in danger: that would certainly be a good reason for Woody to come out of retirement. After all, at the end of "Toy Story 4", he decided to live happily without a child owner and spend the rest of his life with Bo Peep. However, none of this quite fits with a hint coming from Buzz's voice actor, Tim Allen: according to him, it might actually be Jessie who needs to be rescued in "Toy Story 5". Quote:

"There's a lot of real intrigue with Buzz. Jessie's got a big trouble, she needs help, so it's a really cool thing."

Based on reports, the film will also revolve around the heroes' struggle against new technologies. At the Annecy Animation Festival, Pixar introduced the main villain of "Toy Story 5": a tablet named LilyPad. The story apparently explores how the new technology enters Bonnie's life and how the old toys deal with it. We are curious to find out how this relates to the discarded Lightyear figures – and whether the story will even dare to tackle the topic of artificial intelligence.

New Voices and Faces in the Children's Room

In addition to the familiar heroes, some new voices are joining the cast as well. It was recently revealed that talk show legend and podcaster Conan O'Brien will be voicing a new character called Smarty Pants – "the best character of them all" according to O'Brien, as he jokingly shared on Instagram. However, it is still unknown exactly what kind of character this will be.

Conan O'Brien is already the third new addition to the cast of the fifth installment. Previously, Ernie Hudson was cast as the successor to the late Carl Weathers for the well-known action figure Combat Carl. Also joining the cast is "Scary Movie" star Anna Faris, in a role that has yet to be revealed. Directing the film is a true Pixar veteran: Andrew Stanton. He previously worked as a writer on the earlier "Toy Story" movies and directed hits like "Finding Nemo" and "Wall-E".

"Toy Story 5" will be released on June 19, 2026. We are looking forward to the first official trailers and further story details.