While much of the focus to this point has been on Toy Story 5's central cast of toys, a new photo has audiences talking about the upcoming blockbuster's human characters with the debut of an older Bonnie. Pixar's highly anticipated sequel will see franchise mainstays Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) forced to reckon with the emergence of technology and how it is encroaching on their playtime.
One of the main characters of the most recent Toy Story films (really, since Toy Story 3) has been a young girl named Bonnie. The lovable tot was introduced at the end of the third film, replacing series regular Andy as the franchise figurehead passed off his iconic set of toys to the little one. She is set to appear once again in Toy Story 5, but will look a bit different in doing so.
A new photo from Toy Story 5 has revealed Bonnie's new look in the upcoming film (via USA Today). The image in question sees Woody and Buzz peeking out from behind a slotted closet door, as Bonnie sits on a bed with her mother, with an iPad-like tablet in her hand.
While it is exciting to get another look at the 2026 animated epic, it is particularly notable as it features an older Bonnie than ever before. In Toy Story 4, the human main character was somewhere around 5 years old, being just slightly older than her toddler debut in Toy Story 3.
Woody and Buzz's new owner appears significantly older in the Toy Story 5 first look, possibly around nine or 10 years old. This is roughly around the age former franchise main character Andy was during the events of the second Toy Story movie, which is appropriate, as this is Bonnie's second film in the franchise as the primary human character.
Toy Story 5 comes to theaters on June 19 from Finding Nemo director Andrew Stanton. The upcoming film is set to see its central crew of toys-come-to-life faced with a new threat, a tablet named Lilypad (played by Greta Lee). As Lilypad begins to take over young Bonnie's life, the toys must confront the fact that they may be past their prime.
What Does an Older Bonnie Mean for Toy Story 5?
An older Bonnie could have a significant impact on where Toy Story 5 will take fans with its toy-based adventure. The upcoming film is said to explore the complex relationship between children and technology. Aging Bonnie up from where she was in Toy Story 3 and 4 can make this central narrative conceit hit just a bit harder.
Not only will the franchise's toys have to contend with Bonnie's new connection to the Lilypad tablet, but also the idea of her getting older in general. The Toy Story franchise has not been shy about its (at times) heartbreaking portrayal of the concept of time.
Fans previously dealt with this in Toy Story 3, as the toys' previous owner, Andy, moved on from playtime and passed his toybox on to the young Bonnie. By the time Toy Story 5 comes out, that tear-jerking moment was over 15 years ago in real time. The relationship between kids and their toys has changed since then.
Kids are growing older faster and have a myriad of things to engage with that someone of Andy's vintage didn't have when they were growing up. By making Bonnie (a modern-day kid) a bit older, she is closer to the place Andy was when he left for college when it comes to the toys, but at a younger age.
This could potentially lay the path for Bonnie to reach a similar place Andy did by the end of the third Toy Story film and pass her toys off to the next generation. Let's just hope Toy Story 5 is not the place she does it.
