As someone whose office walls are filled with action figures, stuffed animals and myriad other pop culture collectibles, I’ve always appreciated the power of a good toy. Even so, my anticipation for Pixar’s upcoming sequel Toy Story 5 has fluctuated between abject excitement and the worry that well enough should be left alone. But I’m firmly on the positive side again after Tim Allen’s latest teasy comments.
As one of the core franchise cast members since the start, Allen is as synonymous with the character Buzz Lightyear as he is with live-action projects like Home Improvement. And he’s also always been quick to talk about the movies while they’re still in mid-production, which is more of a boon to fans than the filmmakers, I’m sure. Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote the ongoing second season of ABC’s Shifting Gears, the comedian addressed what he calls the funniest sequence in the upcoming 2026 movie, saying:
The funniest thing to me is that there's a plane crash like that Hanks movie - I dunno, Tom somebody - on the island where a FedEx plane or something with 100 Buzz dolls lands, and they’re all lost. They're the B story. It’s hysterical. They’re trying to find their way back, and there are a hundred of them. I hope they have it in there.
Gotta love that Tim Allen couldn't even let that story go by without taking a winking jab at longtime co-star Tom Hanks and his 2000 island-stranded hit Cast Away. But there's no time to worry about Wilson here, because we've got 100 Buzz Lightyear dolls who need guidance! The thought of so many dozens of generic Buzzes bumbling about sounds excellent to me, and brings to mind past secenes involving all the boxed Buzzes, as well as the character's Spanish-setting arc.
Though he doesn't tip his hat to how all of the Buzz Lightyear dolls will get saved (or otherwise), Allen does say indicate he had fun providing the voices for all the non-protagonist spaceman toys.
I ad-libbed. There's one in the back going, 'Why is he giving all the orders?'
I dunno what it is, but I'm also amused by the idea of 100 Buzz Lightyear toys being so naturally ego-driven that they don't understand why another version is the one everyone should be listening to. The combination of Allen's voice with the character's blindly confident reactions always makes for a good time.
No updates on the newest play-worthy character, the tablet Lilypad, but Allen did use the word "reboot" to describe the story, and touched on how this sequel puts Jesse at the center of the story. In his words:
They reboot everything. It’s all about Jesse, which is really cool. She’s in trouble, and she needs help. We’re all over, so she has to gather everybody.
Even in a world where more than 100 Buzz Lightyears can populate an island, there's only one Jesse, so they need to keep her safe! Joan Cusack will thankfully once again be reprising that role, which will be central to getting all of our familiar toy friends together again.
Find out what 100 meddling Buzz Lightyears sound like when Toy Story 5 hits theaters on June 19, 2026.
