"Toy Story 3" had a magnificent ending and every fan was satisfied with the supposed finale of the series. But things turned out differently and another movie followed: Nine years later, "Toy Story 4" was released and broke all attendance records. The story was mediocre, but they had at least found a worthy ending for Woody, Buzz and their friends once again. However, Disney seems to have other plans, as "Toy Story 5" was announced this spring.

No one knows exactly how the story will continue, since the toy friends actually parted ways at the end of the fourth part. But there are already some very interesting theories circulating on the Internet about how the story could continue. And we've summarized the best ones for you in this article!

Theories

"Toy Story 5" offers plenty of opportunities for the creators, but they are also associated with risks. The focus could be on new toys or on already established ones like Jessie. However, it's the friendship between Woody and Buzz that made the first four movies into the classics they are. Doing without them would run the risk of losing the old fans. Well, luckily, they have confirmed that the duo will be back! Tim Allen also announced via Twitter that he will once again provide Buzz's voice.

Woody's Past

One theory revolves around the protagonists' past: "Toy Story 5" could partly function as a prequel with multiple storylines. In "Toy Story 2" we already learned quite a bit about Woody's earlier life, and "Lightyear" dealt with the Buzz character's origins. But of course there is much more to discover, such as who Woody's first owner was. While this narrative approach would open up entirely new worlds for us, it could also become too complex for the family-friendly franchise.

New Toys

Each movie in the "Toy Story" franchise introduced at least one new toy - and sometimes more than one. Be it Jessie and Bullseye, who appear in Andy's room in "Toy Story 2", or Forky, whom Bonnie created in "Toy Story 4". The latter even got his own series on Disney+. So it would be entirely possible to make a completely new storyline in which the earlier protagonists would only have a minor role. However, chances are high that fans will criticize such an attempt. We have already experienced this in the 2022 film "Lightyear", where Disney substituted the voice of Tim Allen with that of Chris Evans - which did not go down well at all with the fans. Still, a Forky-centric plot would be a possibility, for example. Similar things have already been done before, for example in "Shrek" with the "Puss in Boots" films and in "Frozen" with the short films of Olaf. It remains unclear, however, whether Forky really has what it takes to replace Woody and Buzz.

The True Story of Toy Story 2

Many people are unaware that "Toy Story 2" was originally supposed to have a completely different storyline. Moreover, the original plot of "Toy Story 3" was scrapped when Disney tried to distance itself from Pixar - at the time, they gave control of the "Toy Story" franchise to the now-defunct company Circle 7 Animation. "Toy Story 5" could therefore resume the actual plot of "Toy Story 2". This one centered on a malfunction of Andy's Buzz Lightyear action figure that results in the toy being shipped to Taiwan, where he encounters other Star Command toys. This idea doesn't seem so far-fetched, given the introduction of other Star Command members in "Lightyear", if they're trying to make a connection to the spin-off film.

Andy Returns

Bonnie was never really able to make up for the void left by Andy in "Toy Story 4" with fans. Many couldn't believe their eyes when he handed over his toys to the girl in "Toy Story 3" and headed off to college. So in "Toy Story 5", this very storyline could be revisited: Andy could return and take back his toys. Perhaps not to play with them himself, but he could leave them to his children. Woody, Buzz and friends bringing a family together - doesn't that sound like a very heartwarming and fitting storyline for the franchise?

Woody's Roundup: The Movie

The 2022 movie "Lightyear" flopped at the box office. However, it did manage to finally tell us the background story of Buzz. At the beginning of the movie, it was revealed that this movie was actually the reason why Andy Davis fell in love with the Space Ranger in 1995 and desperately wanted his action figure. "Toy Story 5" could take a similar path: the film could be "Woody's Roundup": starring Woody, Jessie, the Prospector and Bullseye. That would be the movie Andy's dad saw that made him want a Cowboy Woody doll so badly. Images of "Woody's Roundup" can be seen over and over again in the "Toy Story" movies. One problem here, however, would be to include Buzz's part - he would then probably appear more on the sidelines, for example as a narrator.

The Emotional Ending of Toy Story 5

Pixar has always shown a talent for emotional endings, parts 3 and 4 are the prime examples here. The moviegoers were always left with tears in their eyes. That's why we expect a touching ending for "Toy Story 5" as well. We are particularly fond of a little fan fiction: Imagine the toys changing hands again as part of the new adventure.

Then at the end of the movie, the father of the new child would show up and notice that these toys look just like the ones he had as a kid: Of course, this would be none other than Andy. This ending would definitely have tear-jerking potential and would once again provide a nice conclusion to the film series.