Tom Hanks Warns AI Could Replace Woody’s Voice in Future ‘Toy Story’ Movies

Tom Hanks is once again bringing one of his most famous characters back to life as Woody in Toy Story 5. The latest entry in Pixar’s long-running franchise has already made a huge impact at the box office, leading fans to wonder if Toy Story 6 could eventually happen.

However, if Disney decides to continue the series, there is one big question: will Tom Hanks return as the voice of Woody?

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hanks explained that he would only come back for another Toy Story movie if the story was worth telling. The actor said that simply making another sequel because audiences love the franchise would not be enough.

“If you’re gonna do another ‘Toy Story,’ it better be worthwhile,” Hanks told Entertainment Weekly. “It better be great. You better be examining some theme that is not just dragging it out because people like the title.” Hanks also admitted that Toy Story has become a major business for Disney, but he believes the creative side should always come first. “Unless it’s good, new, fresh, there’s no reason to do it at all,” he added.

While Hanks hopes any future Toy Story movie would have a strong reason to exist, he also understands that Disney may not technically need him to record new lines as Woody. The actor pointed out that decades of his voice recordings from the franchise already exist digitally, meaning artificial intelligence could potentially be used to recreate his performance.

“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,” Hanks said.

The idea of using AI to bring back a character without the original actor’s involvement is something Hanks and his Toy Story co-star Tim Allen have both described as concerning. Hanks has previously spoken about the growing power of artificial intelligence and deepfake technology, especially when it comes to Hollywood.

During an appearance on The Adam Buxton Podcast in 2023, Hanks explained that he first saw the possibilities of digital recreation while working on The Polar Express, the 2004 film that used advanced motion-capture technology.

“We saw this coming, we saw that there was going to be this ability to take zeros and ones from inside a computer and turn it into a face and a character,” Hanks said.

The actor believes AI technology has developed at an incredible speed and could eventually allow studios to recreate actors at different ages or continue performances long after they are no longer able to participate.

“Anybody can now recreate themselves at any age they are by way of AI or deep fake technology,” Hanks explained.

He also raised concerns about the legal and creative questions surrounding the technology, saying that future audiences may not even know whether they are watching a real performance or a digital recreation.

For now, Hanks remains the voice of Woody, and fans can still enjoy his performance in Toy Story 5. But his comments show that the future of famous characters like Woody may become much more complicated as AI continues to change the entertainment industry.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!