With Toy Story 5 now in theaters, Tom Hanks isn’t closing the door on another movie—but he says it only makes sense if there’s a genuinely fresh creative reason to move the story forward.
Tom Hanks is back as Woody, and with Toy Story 5 already out in theaters, fans are naturally looking ahead. Still, the actor isn’t interested in another round of Toy Story just because the franchise name still sells.
Hanks returned alongside Tim Allen for Toy Story 5, continuing the long-running partnership as Buzz Lightyear. When asked about the possibility of Toy Story 6, Hanks made his position clear: if another film happens, it has to earn its place.
“If you’re gonna do another Toy Story, it better be worthwhile,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “It better be great. You better be examining some theme that is not just dragging it out because people like the title. I mean, it is a huge corporate business without a doubt, I’m not gonna discount that. But unless it’s good, new, fresh, there’s no reason to do it at all.”.
For Hanks, the stakes aren’t just whether audiences will show up. It’s whether the story offers something new—some creative reason beyond the pull of a familiar brand.
He also acknowledged another complicated question hanging over any future Woody projects: whether technology and A.I. could eventually let the character continue without him. “Time is undefeated,” he said. “The question would be whether or not we could cobble together some version of me. Every word we have ever recorded in time in Toy Story is on digital media somewhere. so they could put together anything they would want.”.
Hanks and Allen agreed that idea doesn’t sit easily. “It’s a scary thought,” they said, reflecting on how strange the prospect can feel when it’s tied to a role that’s been built over decades.
As Toy Story 5 plays in theaters, the Buzz and Woody voice actors are also taking a moment to look back on their 30-year friendship—something that, for Hanks, is inseparable from why the franchise still matters.
Tom Hanks Tim Allen Toy Story 5 Toy Story 6 Woody Buzz Lightyear Pixar Disney Entertainment Weekly A.I. Toy Story franchise