Plenty of big changes coming in Toy Story 4 but perhaps the most surprising is the surprising switch-up in Andy's appearance for what feels like the umpteenth time. While the look of the toys at the heart of the Toy Story franchise has mostly remained the same in their look, feel, and movements over the years, Andy's appearance in the Toy Story 4 trailer indicated that once again, he was the one character who underwent a makeover.
Toy Story 4 will follow the continuing (and likely final) adventures of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of the Toy Story gang. Following up on the events of Toy Story 3, fans will rejoin Woody and co. as they live their new lives with Bonnie, the adorable pre-schooler who was gifted with Andy's toys before he went to college. When Bonnie brings home a new toy she made, Forky, who suffers an existential crisis and proceeds to try and make a break for it during a family trip, Woody springs into action to bring his new friend home.
Related: Everything We Learned About The Making Of Toy Story 4
As the Toy Story 4 trailer revealed, Andy will be popping back up during the film in what seems to be a flashback (he's the same age as in the original film and back in his very memorable bedroom). But Andy's new look has left viewers confused and wondering: why does Andy look so different in Toy Story 4?
What Did Andy Originally Look Like?
Andy was introduced in Toy Story, the human owner of the toy-centric cast. Considering it was the mid-90s and this was the first feature-length animated film, the design of Andy looked pretty life-like, with his facial features and expressions carefully recreated. The skin textures and detailing were, naturally, limited (that's why the film focused on toys in the first place). There were only slight tweaks to Andy's appearance in Toy Story 2.
Toy Story 3 Proved Andy's Appearance Needed to Evolve
When Andy appeared in Toy Story 3, a lot had changed. Of course, this character was ten years older than when audiences had last seen him, but even accounting for that, there were noticeable adjustments made by improvements in animation. Indeed, the most notable changes were the eyes, which had been tweaked to appear even more lifelike, and the hair was animated for a more realistic effect (this is one of the key areas of animation Disney and Pixar has greatly improved over the last 20 years). Andy's skin also had more tone and color variation to it, showing freckles and redness like a regular human person would have. A younger Andy seen in flashbacks had a design that bridge this newer take and the teenage version.
Andy's Appearance in Toy Story 4 Is Modernized, Not Different
The design for Andy in Toy Story 4, however, is a further step of this change. Not only have the animators taken advantage of the ostensible improvements in digital animation since 2010, but it appears the animators have used the Toy Story 3 version of Andy as the template from which to de-age him back down to a young boy. As a result, he now looks nothing like the version seen in Toy Story 1 & 2. Some fans even theorized the boy we saw in the trailers wasn't Andy; instead, it had to be Andy's son, but nothing seems to indicate that (he gave the toys to Bonnie, after all).
