The Toy Story franchise has been a household favorite for just over 30 years now, with perfect casting, a widely appealing sense of humor, and analyses of life that strike the hearts of adults even more than they do children. There are plenty of folks out there who would define this as the gold standard of anime film franchises and, without a doubt, it is to Pixar what Freddy Krueger was to New Line. It was the franchise that got Pixar going and now it’s back to help buoy the studio a bit after the 2025 flop Elio. The question is, is everyone from Toy Story 4 back for Toy Story 5? No, it seems a number of that film’s characters were one-offs. Furthermore, there are even a few characters who are returning who will now be brought to life by a different voice. It’s not the first time that has happened in this franchise either, and today we’re going to go through just how many times a character has been recast in this beloved IP.
We’re only looking at recasts for movies, though. That means video games or the TV series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command didn’t count, but that show’s feature length backdoor pilot, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins, did. Furthermore, if they were replaced for a short film, that too did not count.
10) Woody
For the most part, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins introduces new characters. However, a few familiar faces (and voices) show up, e.g. Wallace Shawn as Rex, R. Lee Ermey as Sarge, and Joe Ranft as Wheezy.
But there were two characters who returned with different actors. One of them was Woody himself, voiced here by Tom Hanks’ younger brother, Jim Hanks. Jim has also voiced the beloved protagonist in Toy Story Treats, Lamp Life, and any videogame in which Woody appears. Jim was also Tom’s body double on Forrest Gump and voiced the character in the 4D interactive Disney World and Disneyland attraction Toy Story Midway Mania!
9) Hamm
John Ratzenberger voiced Hamm in just about every single Toy Story project to date. That makes sense, because if there’s any Pixar mainstay voice actor, it’s Ratzenberger. In fact, he voiced a character in every Pixar movie up until Soul. Since then, he has come back for Inside Out 2 and will return in Toy Story 5, but otherwise has sat most of them out.
The Cheers icon voiced Hamm in all five mainline films, short films like Hawaiian Vacation and Partysaurus Rex, and the show Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. However, in The Adventure Begins, fellow Pixar mainstay Andrew Stanton temporarily took over the role.
8) Bonnie Anderson
When Andy gives little Bonnie Anderson his toy collection, it’s both one of cinema’s defining passing of the torch moments as well as one of cinema’s great trilogy conclusions. And, when Andy does so, Bonnie is four years old and voiced by Emily Hahn, who continued voicing the character in the Toy Story Toons Hawaiian Vacation, Small Fry, and Partysaurus Rex.
In Toy Story 4, Bonnie is about 6 years old and voiced by Madeleine McGraw, who has since had roles in The Black Phone and Black Phone 2. For the upcoming Toy Story 5, the now eight-year-old Bonnie will once again be recast, with Scarlett Spears (Young Glinda in Wicked: For Good) taking over the part.
7) Combat Carl
Combat Carl, at least Carl Weathers’ Combat Carl (there was a Caucasian one in the first movie, but he hardly received any focus), was a fairly late addition to the Toy Story family. He first debuted in Toy Story of Terror!, where Weathers voiced both Combat Carl and Combat Carl JR.
Then, six years after that 2013 TV special, Weathers came back for Toy Story 4. It ended up being his final film role, though he did continue to work after that point as Greef Karga on The Mandalorian, a role he inhabited until 2023. Now, Ernie Hudson will be taking over the role. Viewers have certainly familiarized themselves with Hudson’s work, be it his role as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters franchise or his roles on Oz, Grace and Frankie, and his scene-stealing roles in Congo and Miss Congeniality.
6) Mr. Pricklepants
James Bond veteran Timothy Dalton wasn’t the first name that popped into anyone’s minds when they thought of an adorable hedgehog toy, but he was perfect. Mr. Pricklepants first debuted in Toy Story 3 and Dalton continued to voice him in Hawaiian Vacation, Small Fry, Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure, Partysaurus Rex, Toy Story of Terror!, Toy Story That Time Forgot, and Toy Story 4.
Robin Atkin Downes took over the role for the series of shorts Forky Asks a Question, which was released the same year as Toy Story 4. As for Toy Story 5, John Hopkins will be taking over the role. Hopkins recently had major roles on Masters of the Air and A Very Royal Scandal.
5) Slinky Dog
Easily one of the most beloved characters of the Toy Story franchise, Slinky Dog was brought perfectly to life by Ernest himself, Jim Varney. Varney portrayed the character in the first two films before passing away from lung cancer in 2000, just one year after the opening of Toy Story 2.
Since that point, Happy Madison favorite Blake Clark has taken over the role. Varney and Clark were close friends prior to the former’s passing.
4) Mr. Potato Head
“Mr. Warmth” himself, Don Rickles, was the voice of Mr. Potato Head from the beginning. He voiced the character in the first three films before passing away in 2017 at the age of 90. When it came time to make Toy Story 4, archive recordings were put to use so Rickles could play the character one last time.
The role will now be played by experienced voice actor Jeff Bergman. Bergman has voiced everyone from Yogi Bear and Bugs Bunny to Odin and Joe Biden.
3) Mrs. Potato Head
When she debuted in Toy Story 2, Mrs. Potato Head was voiced by Seinfeld legend Estelle Harris. This was a role she continued to inhabit up until her death.
Harris voiced the character in the third and fourth films as well as Hawaiian Vacation, Small Fry, and Partysaurus Rex. In Toy Story 5, the late Harris will be replaced by Anna Vocino, who has also provided her voice to The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road, Psychonauts 2, and The Last of Us: Part II.
2) Buzz Lightyear
Prior to release Lightyear seemed like an unnecessary project and, when it came out, that was exactly people’s reaction to it. Furthermore, while Chris Evans is a very likable performer and individual, it’s just hard to imagine anyone but Tim Allen voicing this particular character.
This actually wasn’t the first time Lightyear has been recast, even if it was the first time for a movie. While Allen voiced him in Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins, he was voiced by Patrick Warburton in the show that TV movie led into.
1) Emperor Zurg
While we’re on the topic of the pilot Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins, there was one major character from Toy Story 2 who was recast, even if the title character was not. Specifically, Evil Emperor Zurg, who was voiced by Andrew Stanton in the 1999 Pixar movie and was replaced by Wayne Knight (who also just so happened to be in Toy Story 2) for the TV movie.
Zurg was also the other character recast for the ill-fated Lightyear. There, he (slash older Buzz Lightyear) was voiced by James Brolin. The rest of the film’s cast was made of franchise newcomer characters.
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