Pixar Debuts Woody’s Bald Spot and a Wave of New Voices in ‘Toy Story 5’ Trailer
The first full trailer for Toy Story 5 dropped Thursday, Feb. 19, and the internet zeroed in on one thing immediately: Woody is balding.
Pixar debuted the trailer and gave fans a reunion between a visibly aging Woody and his old pal Buzz Lightyear — but the reunion wasn’t even the biggest talking point.
It was the moment Woody took off his iconic cowboy hat and revealed a bald spot so pronounced it literally glistened in the sunlight and blinded the other toys around him.
A children’s toy. With male pattern baldness. That shines like a solar flare.
The gag doesn’t stop at the visual. Lilypad, the film’s new tablet character, roasts Woody by calling him “some kind of old man toy.” Woody doesn’t even get the joke.
“She thinks you’re old because you’re bald, Woody,” Forky says.
The screenshot edits, the reaction memes, the TikTok duets — this moment was practically engineered for social media virality.
‘Toy Story 5’ Trailer Sets Up Toys vs. Tech Conflict
Beyond the bald spot, the trailer introduces a central conflict that feels extremely 2026: physical toys versus digital technology.
For those who don’t remember, many fans thought they had said goodbye to Woody at the end of Toy Story 4, released in 2019, when he decided to start a new life with Bo Peep as a lost toy.
In the new trailer, Woody is talking to Jessie over a walkie talkie. He and Bo Peep have been on the hunt for abandoned toys when Jessie gives him an update on life with Bonnie, the toys’ owner.
The problem? Bonnie’s basically glued to a new tablet named Lilypad, and it’s leaving the toys feeling irrelevant.
“Tech has invaded our house, too,” Jessie tells Woody.
“I don’t know, Jessie. Toys are for play, but tech is for everything,” Woody replies.
That line is the kind of quote that could launch a thousand debate threads. Are toys obsolete? Is screen time ruining childhood?
Pixar is tapping into a real cultural conversation about kids and technology, and it’s the type of theme that will get people sharing hot takes and creating content around the film months before it hits theaters.
The Voice Cast Blends Nostalgia With Fresh Additions
Pixar went all out with the ensemble. Tom Hanks returns as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack as Jessie, Tony Hale as Forky, and Annie Potts as Bo Peep.
The new and returning additions are where things get fun for pop culture watchers.
Keanu Reeves is back as Canadian daredevil toy Duke Caboom. The Duke Caboom energy from Toy Story 4 was already iconic — bringing him back feels like a gift. Greta Lee voices Lilypad, the tablet at the center of the toys-vs-tech conflict.
The trailer comes three months after Pixar released a teaser that introduced the world to Lilypad. Lee is stepping into what looks like one of the most pivotal new roles in the franchise.
And then there’s Conan O’Brien as Smarty Pants. Conan O’Brien is in a Toy Story movie. The name alone screams meme potential.
The full voice cast is massive, according to Pixar:
- Craig Robinson as Atlas, a cheerful talking GPS hippo toy
- Shelby Rabara as the excitable camera toy Snappy
- Scarlett Spears as the sweet and shy 8-year-old Bonnie
- Mykal-Michelle Harris as Blaze, an independent 8-year-old girl who loves animals
- Matty Matheson as the tech-fearing toy Dr. Nutcase
- John Ratzenberger as Hamm
- Wallace Shawn as Rex
- Blake Clark as Slinky Dog
- Jeff Bergman as Mr. Potato Head
- Anna Vocino as Mrs. Potato Head
- Bonnie Hunt as Dolly
- Melissa Villaseñor as Karen Beverly, Bonnie’s homemade toy fashioned out of a plastic knife
- John Hopkins as Mr. Pricklepants
- Kristen Schaal as Trixie
- Ernie Hudson as the action figure Combat Carl
Characters like Dr. Nutcase — a tech-fearing toy voiced by Matty Matheson — feel tailor-made for the film’s storyline, while the return of fan favorites like Rex, Hamm, and Slinky Dog is pure comfort viewing.
Mark Your Calendars for June
The movie will be released exclusively in theaters on June 19, 2026. That summer release window means Toy Story 5 discourse is going to dominate feeds well into the warmest months of the year.
Between the balding Woody reveal, the loaded voice cast, and a premise that practically begs for online debate, Pixar designed this trailer to generate conversation.
The bald spot moment has the kind of visual punch that translates perfectly into screenshots, reaction videos, and memes across every platform.
If you haven’t watched the full trailer yet, check it out here.
Production of this article included the use of AI. It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.
