Summary

• Ducky & Bunny need more screen time in Toy Story 5 to prevent the sequel from falling into a common trap.
• Pixar's reliance on sequels for revenue is evident, but Toy Story 5 should place more focus on new characters.
• Treading the line between nostalgia and originality is key for Toy Story 5.

With Toy Story 4's ending. While there's never been a shortage of colorful and exciting characters in the Toy Story franchise, the 2026 effort risks falling into a common trap if it isn't careful.

Pixar sequels seem to be the best source of revenue for the animation studio in recent years, with new stories not performing particularly well at the box office. While 2023's Elemental eventually turned a profit, it was a slow burner and fell very short of Pixar's highest earners. Before Elemental, 2017's Coco was the last non-sequel Pixar movie to be a box office smash. All the Toy Story movies have done very well financially, so the fifth will likely flourish too. However, it also needs to be mindful of always looking to the future.

Ducky & Bunny Need More Screen Time In Toy Story 5

Key & Peele's Toy Story 4 characters were a highlight of the movie

Toy Story 4 was a deeply emotional affair, but it also maintained the franchise's comedic elements. The funniest moments in the movie came from Ducky and Bunny, who were voiced by the legendary comedy duo, Key and Peele. The zany plushies felt very much like characters their voice artists would play in their live-action sketch show, and they were brilliantly suited to the Toy Story universe. In the next movie, Pixar needs to give them more chances to bring about belly laughs from the audience.

Toy Story 5 is slated for a theatrical release on June 19, 2026.

While the movie being the series' stopping point isn't confirmed, it's possible that Toy Story 5 could end the franchise. The third and fourth movies have already given fans two tear-jerking conclusions, so a third that once again doesn't serve as the story's final ending could mean retreading old ground. If so, it would be a shame for Ducky and Bunny to be limited to just a few moments of comedic brilliance.

Toy Story 5 Needs Ducky & Bunny To Prove The Series Isn't Repeating Itself

Ducky & Bunny can stop the 2026 sequel from becoming a nostalgia trap

There's no denying that a huge number of those who will go to see Toy Story 5 will be existing fans of the franchise, and many will have seen the first movie as children. So, nostalgia will be a powerful tool during the marketing process. However, relying too much on this factor could result in the sequel being too similar to previous Toy Story movies. By giving Ducky and Bunny larger roles, Pixar can prove that it doesn't need to lean on more time-honored characters for Toy Story 5 to be successful.