Ernie Hudson takes on the role of Combat Carl in Toy Story 5.

      With the Toy Story franchise set to continue with a fifth movie, production has aimed to find a replacement for one of its key characters following the death of Carl Weathers. They have selected Ernie Hudson as the late actor’s successor, as confirmed by Deadline. Hudson is widely recognized for his role in Ghostbusters, but he has also appeared in Oz and Netflix's Grace and Frankie. His voice acting experience includes roles in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Transformers Prime, and Puppy Dog Pals.

      Weathers voiced Combat Carl in two projects: the TV special Toy Story of Terror! and the 2019 film Toy Story 4. He passed away in February 2024 at the age of 76.

      Details about Toy Story 5 remain limited. During a press conference, it was hinted that the film's visual style will be different, with an emphasis on "evolving animation." Jessie will take a prominent role, and Tim Allen mentioned, “I can tell you that it’s a lot about Jessie. Tom [Hanks] and I do — Woody and I — realign. And there’s an unbelievable opening scene with Buzz Lightyear. I can give you that, but I can’t share much more.”

      Toy Story 5 will be directed by Andrew Stanton, known for Finding Nemo. Jessica Choi is producing, with Pete Docter serving as executive producer. The new installment must follow Toy Story 4, which was released in 2019 and earned $1.073 billion globally, making it the highest-grossing film of the franchise.

      The release date for Toy Story 5 is set for June 19, 2026.

      About EJ Moreno: EJ Moreno is a film and television critic and entertainment writer who joined the pop culture site Flickering Myth in 2018 and currently acts as the executive producer of Flickering Myth TV, a YouTube channel with over 27,000 subscribers. With more than a decade of experience, he is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of the Critics Choice Association and GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics.