Toy Story’s Most Important Missing Character Finally Returns After 27 Years, First Look Revealed

by

Pixar is making a fifth Toy Story movie that will explore how the toys are dealing with modern technology. The story follows Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and the rest of the gang as Bonnie becomes more interested in a tablet named Lilypad. This forces the toys to compete for Bonnie’s attention in a world dominated by screens, so they turn to Woody for help. While the franchise has always been about the connection between kids and their toys, this new installment offers a unique challenge and will have the characters confronting past issues.

Pixar has shared a new scene from Toy Story 5 that shows Jessie remembering her previous owner, Emily. We learned in Toy Story 2 that Emily eventually stopped playing with Jessie, even though they were once very close. The new clip shows happy moments from Jessie’s time with Emily, before cutting to the present where Bonnie appears to have lost interest in Jessie since getting a new toy, Lilypad. Although short, the scene highlights that Toy Story 5 will explore Jessie’s fear of being left behind, and how a new tablet toy is bringing up painful memories from her past.

Toy Story 5‘s Villain Will Affect Jessie More Than Anyone Else

At its heart, Toy Story 2 is about Jessie learning to trust again. When we first meet her, she’s deeply hurt from being abandoned by her former owner, Emily, and this causes her to panic in enclosed spaces and keep people at a distance. She believes that loving a child will only lead to pain, but Woody’s support and selflessness help her start to open up. The turning point comes when Jessie realizes that even short-lived happiness is worth the eventual sadness, and she willingly goes to Andy’s house knowing he’ll eventually outgrow her. This acceptance is crucial when Andy prepares for college in Toy Story 3, and the toys face an uncertain future. Because she’s no longer alone in facing this change, Jessie copes better, and ultimately finds a new home and family with Bonnie.

Toy Story 5 is set to challenge the familiar comfort of the series. This time, the competition for a child’s attention isn’t another toy – it’s a screen, and the toys simply can’t compete. Director Andrew Stanton has openly discussed this, explaining that technology inevitably wins over children (and adults). The film will explore what happens when a child who enjoys playing with toys is introduced to a screen-based device, acknowledging that there won’t be a fair fight.

A brief preview of Toy Story 5 hints at a deeply emotional story, contrasting Jessie’s happy memories with Emily to Bonnie’s lack of interest in her. The film seems to be exploring the difficult idea that toys don’t always find a new child to love, which is particularly painful for Jessie, whose story centers around her fear of being forgotten. Seeing Jessie cope with this permanent loss is expected to be the most heartbreaking part of the movie.

Toy Story 5 is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 19, 2026.

Read More

2026-06-05 15:10