If Toy Story's Woody gets a movie akin to 2022's Lightyear, here's who Disney should cast in the role. When it comes to movie franchises, the law of diminishing returns tends to be felt in full effect. Many franchises drop in quality as they progress, sometimes steeply so. Against all odds though, Pixar's signature Toy Story franchise has defied that convention, with all four entries in the series to date earning 90% or higher critics scores on Rotten Tomatoes, and audience scores either slightly above or below 90% as well.
For a few years, it appeared that 2010's Toy Story 3 would be the final movie in the franchise, but then Toy Story 4 came along to wow audiences yet again. It remains to be seen if a Toy Story 5 will materialize at some point, but the next confirmed Toy Story movie will be the spinoff Lightyear, which takes a look at the in-universe heroic astronaut who inspired the toy of the same name.
Since it's not technically the same character, Tim Allen won't be back to voice the human Buzz, but in what some are calling a casting masterstroke, Chris Evans will assume the role. Evans has of course become an icon due to playing Captain America in the MCU, and the use of his voice certainly fits the Americana aspects of Buzz Lightyear. While Lightyear already has its lead though, if Disney and Pixar ever decide to make a similar movie looking at the real cowboy who inspired Woody, here are some actors they should consider offering the part.
Colin Hanks
While some might wonder why Tom Hanks can't just voice Woody in a Lightyear-esque Toy Story origin movie, like with Lightyear, the idea with such a film would be that this Woody isn't the same Woody seen in prior Toy Story movies. He'd instead be the hypothetical real person who inspired the Woody character, which first debuted in-universe on the Woody's Roundup cartoon show. That's why it makes sense to recast Tim Allen for Lightyear, and also to recast Hanks for a Woody origin movie. That said, if Disney wanted to keep some kind of close tie to Hanks, they could cast Tom's son Colin Hanks in the role. Colin sounds similar to his father, but not to the point where they sound identical. This could allow a "real" Woody to sound somewhat akin to his future cartoon and toy counterpart, while still establishing the two versions of the character as separate. It could also explain how said Woody toy - who some believe belonged to Andy's dad first - sounds, as perhaps the toy company could've hired a sound-alike of Woody's inspiration to do classic lines like "there's a snake in my boots."
Matthew McConaughey
While casting Colin Hanks as Woody in a Toy Story origin movie could allow Disney and Pixar to keep fans of Tom Hanks' work as the character happy, if the studios wanted to go in a different direction, Matthew McConaughey could be a good choice. There's no place more associated with cowboys than Texas, and McConaughey's patented southern drawl could work wonders when it comes to making this Woody feel more like a "real" cowboy. Plus, while Lightyear is obviously still a Disney film intended for the whole family, it definitely seems to be taking a much more serious tone than the mainline Toy Story movies, and casting someone with a deeper, more grizzled voice like McConaughey as Woody could fit a similarly more serious tone for a potential Woody movie.
John Cena
Since Disney went with Chris Evans to voice the titular character of Buzz in Lightyear, it is also quite possible they might want to find a similar actor with a commanding voice and history inspiring people onscreen to voice Woody. This might be the perfect opportunity to hire John Cena, whose public image mirrors the All-American action hero image playing Steve Rogers has helped Evans cultivate. Cena seemingly attempted to bust out of that mold by playing the villainous Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad, and the character will soon lead his own Peacemaker TV show. Besides more superficial qualities though, Cena has already also amassed lots of voice-acting experience and has shown himself adept at both action and comedy. It's highly doubtful a Woody origin movie would be even close to humorless, and Cena would be capable of playing both the heroic moments and one-liners well.
Brendan Fraser
In the 1990s and 2000s, Brendan Fraser was a certified Hollywood A-lister, starring in The Mummy franchise and comedies like Bedazzled and Looney Tunes: Back in Action. Sadly, due to various personal issues, including struggles with depression, Fraser faded away from the acting scene. In the last few years, Fraser has started to experience a Hollywood renaissance of sorts, with a major role on DC's Doom Patrol, and thousands of supporters expressing their support for him online. Casting Fraser as this more grounded version of Woody could be a true marker of his return to prominence, and it wouldn't at all be a hire out of pure sentiment either. Fraser is another actor who's shown himself to be quite good at both action heroics and goofball comedy, and he also possesses a sizable voice-acting resume.
Wyatt Russell
Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt Russell, being cast as Woody would obviously be a bit of a meta casting gag since his John Walker (unsuccessfully) replaced Chris Evans' Steve Rogers as the MCU's Captain America. Beyond that though, Russell has shown himself to be a compelling actor, and someone capable of playing the hero or villain, as well as riding the line between those extremes. If Disney wanted to make a Lightyear-esque Woody movie a bit more edgy - by Disney/Pixar standards - Russell could be a great choice if they want to go with someone younger and less southern-sounding than McConaughey. Plus, Russell is rising, but he's not yet an A-lister, and casting someone whose voice isn't yet immediately recognizable to the mainstream audience might serve a Woody origin movie well in differentiating itself from the main Toy Story movies. He also might be more willing to return for multiple sequels, unlike someone as busy as McConaughey or the still occasionally WWE-bound Cena.
