Pixar is moving forward with familiar faces and new voices in Toy Story 5, which arrives in theaters June 19. The sequel keeps Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head in the picture despite the passing of the original performers, and fans will hear fresh takes that aim to honor the characters’ established personalities.

New actors, familiar tones

In a recent Reddit AMA, writer-director Andrew Stanton confirmed the studio auditioned to fill the roles left vacant by the deaths of Don Rickles and Estelle Harris. Pixar tapped Jeff Bergman as the voice of Mr. Potato Head and Anna Vocino as Mrs. Potato Head. Stanton’s blunt-but-reassuring assessment: the team “found two people that sounded very close to the original actors.”

Those are not small shoes to fill. Don Rickles, who voiced Mr. Potato Head from the original 1995 Toy Story onward, brought a particular sting and comic timing that became part of the character’s identity. Estelle Harris — introduced as Mrs. Potato Head in Toy Story 2 — had a distinctive warmth and exasperated charm. Both actors passed away before production on the sequel: Rickles in 2017 and Harris in 2022. Toy Story 4 used Rickles’ archival recordings for a brief appearance; Toy Story 5 marks a clearer handoff to new performers for ongoing dialogue and scenes.

What we heard in the trailer

The film’s recent trailer — the first major look audiences have had — already gives a taste of Bergman’s approach. His Mr. Potato Head delivers a small, telling line about the core duo: “It’s good to see them fighting again.” That throwaway quip carries the exact mix of wry affection and gruff observation fans expect from the character, and it demonstrates why Pixar sought voice matches rather than radically new interpretations: the line lands because the voice feels like the Potato Head we know.

Toy Story 5 otherwise centers on the familiar emotional engine of the series: Tom Hanks’ Woody and Tim Allen’s Buzz Lightyear reconnect — and collide — with a story thread that introduces Lilypad, a new tablet character voiced by Greta Lee. Keeping Potato Head in that orbit maintains continuity in the film’s peripheral ensemble while allowing new dynamics to emerge among the leads.

More recasting: Combat Carl

The film also swaps in Ernie Hudson for the role of Combat Carl. That change follows the passing of the actor who voiced Carl in the previous entry; Stanton confirmed the replacement in the same AMA. Like the Potato Head casting, this is a choice aimed at preserving character presence without leaning on silence or archival fragments for every role.

Why Pixar likely chose voice matches

  • Emotional continuity: The Toy Story films live and die by their ensemble. Even small peripheral characters accumulate sentimental weight across decades; a recognizable voice helps the audience reconnect instantly.
  • Character integrity: Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head have specific comedic rhythms — one-liners, timing, little sighs and inflections — that shape joke delivery and emotional beats. Matching that rhythm keeps scenes calibrated.
  • Respectful transition: Using sound-alike actors and occasional archival audio makes the change feel like a handover rather than an erasure. It’s a compromise between honoring original performers and allowing the story to keep moving.

How this lands for audiences

There’s a tender, almost protective instinct in long-running franchises: fans don’t want characters to vanish because their performers do. At the same time, recasting can feel jarring if it disregards what made those characters beloved. Pixar’s path here aims for the middle ground — the new voices are subtle, familiar, and in service of the scenes rather than calling attention to themselves.

This matters beyond technical fidelity. Toy Story’s emotional success has always relied on the sense that these toys have histories and relationships that predate any single film. When you hear a Mr. Potato Head line delivered in a voice that carries the same bite and affection viewers remember, it keeps intact the feeling that the toy’s inner life continues, even if the person who originally gave him that voice has passed on. For many viewers, that continuity is a form of comfort.

Stanton on change and second chances

The AMA also touched on Stanton’s broader career and his relationship to risk. Asked whether he would change anything about the live-action John Carter — a film that famously struggled at the box office — Stanton said he wouldn’t alter a thing. “If I got to do it again, I would do everything exactly that same as before,” he replied, adding that he loved making the movie. It’s a revealing stance: rather than retreating from choices that didn’t work commercially, he seems galvanized by the process itself.

That attitude bleeds into how Pixar handles the practical and sentimental work of continuing a franchise: the goal appears to be stewardship, not imitation. The studio is balancing legacy and progression, preserving voices where they matter while introducing new elements and performers who can carry characters forward.

What to watch for on June 19

When Toy Story 5 opens, listen for the small things — the cadence of a quip, a well-placed sigh, a familiar sarcastic beat. Those micro-moments are where a voice match either succeeds or fails. Jeff Bergman and Anna Vocino inherit roles that are part of many viewers’ childhoods; how they preserve and evolve those traits will shape the film’s emotional texture.

Ultimately, replacing a beloved performer is always delicate. Pixar’s solution — auditions to find voices close to the originals, judicious use of archival recordings, and recasting when needed — is a practical and empathetic approach. It keeps the toys talking, the jokes landing, and, most importantly, the emotional continuity that has defined Toy Story for nearly three decades.

Spoiler note: the information here focuses on casting and production context; no major plot spoilers are revealed.

Whether you’re nostalgic for the earliest films or curious about where the franchise goes next, Toy Story 5 looks determined to respect its past while nudging the story forward — and that, in the world of animated sequels, is a relief worth smiling about.