Pixar is finally ready to open up about Riley's true feelings for Val in New emotions also ed the Inside Out universe, including Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Ha), and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos). With so much change, Riley (Kensington Tallman) has to prepare for life as a high school student. All the while, she wrestles with a need to earn respect from her teammate, Val (Lilimar Hernandez).

In an interview with ScreenRant at the Critics' Choice Awards, Pixar co-writer Dave Holstein explored the true nature of Riley's crush on Val in Inside Out 2. Because the story required Riley to develop anxiety after an 18-month time skip, Holstein and the other writers wanted to "give her someone to look up to." That would eventually mean including the ever-confident Val. Check out his full explanation below:

I think that the discussion throughout the entire film is just to give her someone to look up to, the way a freshman looks up to a senior. I mean, [it’s a] girl crush in that way, but it's like there's someone who… I always had this in school too, where you see someone who seems way older. They're probably 18 months older, but they just found a confidence in themselves that speaks to where people want to be at that age in life. Frankly, it's not even age, it's confidence, and we wanted to give her that character to then give her anxiety, to then give us a movie.

What Val Meant To Riley In Inside Out 2

She Was More Than Just Another Crush

The transition between middle school and high school can be incredibly difficult. For Riley, who only moved to the area two years prior, it posed even more of a challenge going into Inside Out 2. She was going to move from being among the oldest students in her school to being the absolute youngest. Riley was also becoming a teenager, which meant new hormones, emotions, and responsibilities. All the while, she was forced to balance her love for hockey, and with so much changing in her life, Riley's "girl crush" on Val was another stage for growth.

Pixar workers reportedly decided to make Riley "less gay" after the failure of Lightyear.

While there was speculation that Riley could have been developing a romantic interest in Val, it is unlikely to develop into much more in future movies. Pixar workers reportedly decided to make Riley "less gay" after the failure of Lightyear, which earned backlash after Alisha kissed her wife, Kiko. With alleged orders against introducing Riley as an LGBTQ+ character, it does make some sense that Holstein would describe the relationship as a "girl crush." By Pixar's explanation, Riley was still adjusting to her new life, and as such felt nothing more than a need to impress a confident friend.

Riley's Story Is Still Ongoing

She Can Still Explore Romance In The Future

While Inside Out 3 is not officially confirmed, it is almost certainly on the way. Leaving the romantic storyline for a future movie, in which Riley can be much older and better prepared, simply makes sense. It gives her more space to explore that element of her life. It is disappointing that Pixar allegedly refused to confirm Riley as an LGBTQ+ character, but it could still be an ongoing storyline for her. Val was nothing but a role model and "girl crush" in Inside Out 2, but in future movies, Riley could very well find other characters to catch her heart.

Pixar has offered insight into Riley's future. In a different interview with ScreenRant, Inside Out 2 co-writer Holstein explained that there is "a lot of life left to explore" for Riley. He hopes to see "a big story every couple of years" of her life, but he especially wants to follow Riley "through motherhood." That would mean viewers would get to see a more romantic direction for her. While anything can change as the story progresses, romance is an important aspect of what Riley's life will someday be. Besides, it will be especially interesting to see love's depiction as an emotion.

Our Take On Riley's Crush On Val

It Works As It Is For Now

A relationship could have offered further avenues to explore Riley's sense of self. Anxiety, Embarrassment, and Ennui all could have had deeper responses from an actual romantic relationship. However, just because it was one potential avenue does not make it the sole potential storyline. The story resonated with countless viewers and continues to today. After all, it secured a Tomatometer score of 91% and an audience score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Even that discounts the box office success. With so much resounding approval, there was no reason to include an arc that may not have worked quite as well.

Inside Out 2 even had a spin-off with the four-episode Disney+ show Dream Productions.

The original movie made $859 million worldwide. It was a sizable sum, but it was around half of what the sequel would usher in. The follow-up introduced new characters, a new high school setting, and new feelings for Riley to explore. Some Inside Out actors were even recast. These were massive risks that could have resulted in disappointing returns. Instead, it was an abject success by every major metric. With a $1.7 billion box office performance behind Pixar, the studio should be free to take certain risks with Riley's story after Inside Out 2.