Disney Confirms 2 Major Changes To Woody In Toy Story 5

Woody is getting a major redesign for Toy Story 5, the biggest visual change the character has had since his debut. Disney's CinemaCon 2026 presentation offered fans their first proper look at the new Woody, confirming that the sheriff will return this summer looking very different from the cowboy doll audiences have followed since 1995.

Disney closed out CinemaCon 2026 in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 16, with a slate of footage from its biggest upcoming releases. Toy Story 5, which arrives in theaters on June 19, was one of the headliners, and the biggest takeaway was Woody. The former sheriff returns with two key changes: 1.) a visible bald spot on the back of his head and 2.) a noticeable beer belly pushing against his shirt, the first time the character has shown any real signs of physical aging since the franchise began. 

Tom Hanks and Tim Allen took the stage together to introduce the footage, joking about how much time has passed since Toy Story opened in 1995. Allen playfully noted that when he and Hanks watched a clip of themselves recording the original film, they looked like their own grandchildren. Ironically, the new Woody design lands right on the nose of their joke. 

The exclusive clip picks up with the toys being pushed aside in Bonnie's bedroom by Lilypad, a frog-faced tablet voiced by Greta Lee that lets kids build chat groups, make digital friends, and disappear into a screen for hours. Bonnie, now roughly eight-nine years old and voiced by Scarlett Spears, uses Lilypad to get invited to a sleepover through a friend request, and the toys start to feel like background furniture. Jessie, watching her grip on the room slip away, snaps and gets into a physical scrap with the tablet.

Woody later shows up with his new bald spot, belly, and a poncho that looks like it was from the Dollars Trilogy, reuniting with Bo Peep, voiced again by Annie Potts. Woody tells Buzz he came the moment Jessie called him in as her deputy, but Buzz insists he is the one Jessie appointed. The two slide right back into the competitive, affectionate back-and-forth that has been the backbone of the franchise since it first began. 

Why Does Woody Look Aged Up in Toy Story 5?

The reason Woody looks older is because of time. Toy Story 5 picks up three years after Toy Story 4, with Woody having spent that stretch out on the road with Bo Peep, helping lost toys find new owners. The bald spot and the belly are the wear and tear of a toy that has been working hard and living rough, instead of sitting safely on a shelf.

Also, Pixar often uses physical changes to show emotional growth. Just as Andy grew up and left for college, Woody is now showing the physical toll of 30 years of service. It visually shows the audience that this is a new chapter, or even a final act, for the character.

There is also a sense of meta-commentary to Woody looking older. Tom Hanks has been voicing Woody for more than 30 years, and the audience that grew up with the first film is now in their 30s and 40s. Giving Woody a bald spot and a belly is a wink at those fans that time really flies.