8 Toy Story Characters Who Deserve A Bigger Role In Toy Story 5

Pixar is known for its lovable characters, and Toy Story 5 has plenty to choose from if it wants to create bigger roles for familiar faces. Toy Story 4 shone the spotlight on Bo Peep, but there are other characters who are just as deserving of increased attention. Each new Toy Story movie has introduced Woody and Buzz to memorable toys and people, some good and some evil.

After Toy Story 5 was confirmed, speculation began immediately about how the franchise would top its previous installments. Toy Story 4 ended perfectly, wrapping everything up with warmth and wisdom. A sequel seemed unnecessary, but Toy Story 3 pulled off the same trick. There are many ways to justify Toy Story 5, and one way would be to take a closer look at other beloved characters.

8 Slinky Could Forge His Own Identity In Toy Story 5

Slinky will have to adjust to life without Woody

Slinky Dog appears in every Toy Story movie since the beginning, but he has a much smaller role in Toy Story 4. With the introduction of plenty of new characters, Andy’s original toys aren’t as central to the plot as they were in previous installments. Despite this, the movie’s ending provides a great opportunity for Slinky to separate himself from the pack and make a big impact on Toy Story 5.

Slinky was always Woody’s favorite deputy, eager to support him when he came up with a new plan. Now that Woody has been separated from his old friends, Slinky suddenly finds himself without the leader he has admired for so long. Toy Story 5 could focus more on how Slinky forges his own identity without following Woody like the loyal dog he is.

7 Hamm’s Sense Of Humor Makes Him An Obvious Choice

Toy Story 5 could focus on him and Rex

The wisecracking piggy bank Hamm mostly fills in the background with the likes of Rex and Slinky, but he deserves to step into the spotlight. He provides a unique sense of humor in Toy Story that none of the other toys can match, and he’s often making sly jokes at their expense. Giving Hamm a bigger role would also restore Pixar’s long-standing cameo tradition with John Ratzenberger, who can also be heard in many other Pixar classics.

Any storyline that brings Hamm to the fore should probably pair him with Rex. The duo has a wonderful comedic relationship, with Rex’s air-headed ideas constantly pressing on Hamm’s nerves. Since Hamm is full of change, he could become the target of theft, and the toys would have to work together to retrieve him.

6 Keanu Reeves’ Duke Caboom Could Make A Comeback

He’ll have to grapple with his purpose in life

Thanks in no small part to the voice acting of Keanu Reeves, Duke Caboom stands out as one of the best new toys from Toy Story 4. The Canadian daredevil loves to strike a pose, even if his heroics don’t always live up to the TV commercial. Duke plays a small but vital role in Toy Story 4, and he could be a good fit for a more detailed story.

Toy Story 4 reveals that Duke’s owner discarded him after his jumps weren’t as impressive as advertised, and throughout the movie, Duke learns to free himself from expectation. In Toy Story 5, Duke will have to grapple with his new purpose in life. It remains a mystery how Toy Story 5 will reunite Buzz and Woody, but Duke could be the key to any bold plan that the Lost Toys come up with.

5 Toy Story Wouldn’t Be The Same Without Mr. Potato Head

The next movie could honor his late voice actor

Just like Hamm, Mr. Potato Head has always been a standout secondary character in the Toy Story movies. The pessimistic potato is quick to anger, especially if he’s embroiled in a shouting match with Mrs. Potato Head. The voice of Mr. Potato Head, Don Rickles, sadly passed away before he could record any lines for Toy Story 4. Still, Pixar paid tribute to the franchise legend.

Including Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head in Toy Story 5 wouldn’t be easy, but the movie would lose a lot of soul if it went without the spuds. Whether they decide to use old voice recordings, recast the parts, or even visit the Potato Heads in a flashback, Pixar could still honor Rickles and Estelle Harris. With Woody gone, Buzz might want to spend some more time with other friends, like Mr. Potato Head.

4 Andy Returning Would Be Controversial

Toy Story 5 could still make it work

Andy’s childhood love for his toys is at the heart of the first three Toy Story movies, but he’s conspicuously absent in Toy Story 4. After giving his toys to Bonnie, there’s no indication of what happened to Andy. He may have grown too old to play with his toys, but the nostalgia factor means he would probably still have a soft spot for them.

Andy returning for Toy Story 5could be controversial, as it would seemingly undo the perfect ending to Toy Story 3. However, there are ways Pixar could make it work. There’s no indication how much time will pass between the events of Toy Story 4 and its sequel, so there’s a chance Andy could be an adult trying to track down his old toys for his own kids.

3 Zurg Could Return In Toy Story 5

An appearance could ignite interest in Lightyear 2

Toy Story’s Darth Vader pastiche gains a new dimension in Lightyear. The movie didn’t perform as well as Pixar was hoping, but Toy Story 5 shouldn’t ignore Lightyear entirely. Adding Zurg to Toy Story 5 could even lay the groundwork for a more successful Lightyear sequel, assuming Pixar learned a few key lessons from the spinoff’s box office failure.

Zurg’s reintroduction to Toy Story would allow Pixar to integrate his origin story from Lightyear into its parent franchise. A Zurg with more depth than a simple Star Wars parody could be a compelling villain, especially if Buzz has to face him without Woody by his side. This would add layers to Buzz and Zurg’s rivalry, which could increase interest in a Lightyear sequel.

2 Toy Story 5 Needs More Bunny & Ducky

They can continue to provide comic relief

Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele have left their sketch comedy show behind them. Key is still working on a variety of comedy shows and movies, but lately, Peele has shifted focus to becoming one of the greatest horror directors of all time. Toy Story 4 brought the pair back together for some laughs as Bunny and Ducky, but the sequel could give the characters even more attention.

The fuzzy friends Bunny and Ducky mainly act as hilarious distractions in Toy Story 4. The sequel doesn’t necessarily have to change this; it just needs to include much more of them. Key and Peele have such distinct comedic voices that the movie could benefit from simply switching the microphones on and letting them improvise for a while. Bunny and Ducky don’t need to impact the main plot much, but they should have bigger roles.

1 Sid

Years have passed in the world of Toy Story since the original movie, and it could be the perfect time to bring back the franchise’s darkest character. In Toy Story, Sid delights in turning toys into twisted monsters. A sanitation worker with an uncanny resemblance to Sid makes a brief appearance in Toy Story 3, but this was little more than an Easter egg.

As the only human who knows that toys are alive, Sid could be scarred by his experiences in Toy Story. There are so many unanswered questions about how this could have affected him, but Toy Story 5could resolve Sid’s story. In the intervening years, he could have tried to warn others about how toys are sentient, or he may have set out to destroy them all.