Tom Hanks has a lot on his mind when it comes to Toy Story’s future, and artificial intelligence is a big part of it. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly in the wake of Toy Story 5’s record-breaking $312 million global opening weekend, the two-time Oscar winner acknowledged that Disney could theoretically continue the franchise using AI-generated dialogue based on his voice, with or without his involvement.
Hanks noted that every word he has ever recorded across 31 years and five Toy Story films is preserved on digital media, giving the studio a vast archive of his vocal performance as Woody. “Time is undefeated,” Hanks told EW. “The question would be whether or not we could cobble together some version of me. Every word we have ever recorded in time in Toy Story is on digital media somewhere, so they could put together anything they would want.” Both Hanks and longtime co-star Tim Allen, the voice of Buzz Lightyear, described that scenario as “a scary thought.”
This is not a new concern for Hanks. During an appearance on The Adam Buxton Podcast in 2023, he spoke about how AI and deepfake technology could mean that death is no longer the end of an actor’s career, warning that a performer’s likeness and voice could continue to work indefinitely after they are gone. He has also navigated the technology firsthand, from repeatedly warning fans about AI deepfake scams using his likeness to the AI de-aging used on him in Robert Zemeckis’s 2024 film Here.
Would Hanks Return for Toy Story 6?
Hanks was clear that his participation in any future installment would depend entirely on whether the story justifies it. He told Entertainment Weekly that a sixth film would need to explore something genuinely new and meaningful rather than simply extending the franchise because the title sells tickets. “If you’re gonna do another Toy Story, it better be worthwhile,” he said. “It better be great.” He acknowledged Toy Story is a massive corporate property while insisting that quality has to come first.
Director Andrew Stanton, who helmed Toy Story 5, has already said this is likely the last film in the franchise he will personally direct. At the Toy Story 5 premiere, Stanton revealed that he sees the original trilogy as the end of the Andy years, adding that there is potential for a new trilogy centered on Bonnie. Separately, Stanton and producer Lindsey Collins have pushed back on the idea of a live-action Toy Story, calling it a hat on top of a hat.
A Broader Industry Question
Hanks’s comments arrive at a particularly charged moment for the entertainment industry. The DGA recently ratified a new four-year contract that includes AI protections for directors, and conversations about AI voice and likeness rights are playing out across Hollywood. The Toy Story franchise sits at the center of that debate in a uniquely visible way, given how long its cast has been recording and how much of that audio is archived.
Several voices from across the Toy Story series have already been lost, including Don Rickles and Jim Varney. With Hanks nearing 70 and Allen at 73, the question of what happens to Woody and Buzz beyond their current cast is no longer purely hypothetical. For now, both actors are very much still in the booth, and Toy Story 5 is the proof. But Hanks’s candid comments make clear that he is thinking carefully about what comes next, and so should Disney.
For more on the Toy Story 5 phenomenon, check out our coverage of the film’s record-breaking opening weekend.
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