Toy Story 4's Duke Caboom is the subject of a lawsuit that claims Disney profited off the unauthorized use of Evel Knievel's likeness. The fourth and presumably final installment in Pixar's flagship film series wrapped up the journeys of pull-string cowboy doll Woody (Tom Hanks) and spaceman Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) as they reunite with Bo Peep (Annie Potts), an old friend with a new outlook on life as a toy. Joining up with a group of abandoned toys at a traveling carnival, Woody and the gang meet a slew of new faces, including the eccentric Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves).

In the film, Duke Caboom is a small plastic action figure based on Canada's fictional greatest stuntman. He is fully decked out in nationalistic red-and-white, and maple leaves adorn his large cape and matching motorbike. The proud Canuck constantly exclaims "Yes I Canada!" and had Pixar's Canadian animators desperate for the chance to bring him to life. Reeves's performance only served to compound the unmistakable charm of the secretly forlorn toy, who was abandoned in the 1970s by his owner, Réjean, because he didn't perform stunts quite as well as advertised.

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TMZ reports that the stuntman has landed Disney in hot water, as the Mouse House is now being sued for appropriating Evel Knievel's image. K&K Promotions, who manage the late performer's likeness, have filed a lawsuit against Disney, Pixar, and a number of subsidiaries for the unauthorized homage. The company goes further in drawing a comparison between Duke Caboom and an official Evel Knievel toy released in the 1970s that includes a motorbike much like the one in the film as well as a dock accessory for winding the toy up. K&K Promotions allege that Disney deliberately avoided any reference to Knievel in promotional interviews, similar to how Tony Hale (who voices the spork toy Forky in the film) carefully avoided using the word spork in interviews because of the complicated legal ownership of the term.

Woody, Buzz, Bo Peep and Duke Caboom in Toy Story

It's not hard to see where K&K is coming from. Anyone who saw the film and knows of Evel Knievel would immediately recognize the homage to the American icon of the 1970s who dressed head-to-toe in red-white-and-blue and had a signature performative flare. The reference to the toy itself is even more telling, as Duke Caboom functions in much the same way and has a similar commercial in-universe to boot. So thorough is the parody that it's clear the animators were lovingly referencing Knievel, but when there are mountains of money on the table in ticket sales and toys based on Duke Caboom, it's easy to see where a humorous recreation stops being funny. It seems the ill-fated thrillseeker is in over his head, and he's led Disney into some hot water.

It's not the Mouse House's first day in court, however. In January 2020, visual artist Sweet Cicely Daniher sued the company for allegedly plagiarizing her unicorn-sporting van in the movie Onward. It's an unfortunate pattern for Disney subsidiary Pixar, which created both films. Famous characters such as Mr. Potato Head and Barbie have appeared in the Toy Story film series without issue and with credit due to their owners. If Toy Story 4 is to be followed up with a sequel, Disney will have to make this jump unscathed or risk losing Duke Caboom in the proverbial gorge.

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Source: TMZ