Disney-Pixar may have hidden one of its new Toy Story 4 characters in last summer’s Incredibles 2.
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As pointed out by Seamus Gorman on YouTube, Incredibles 2 shows baby Jack-Jack Parr in a crib surrounded by blocks and an action figure. Looking closer, some of the upturned blocks — “W,” “D” and “Y” — could be hinting at Woody (Tom Hanks), cementing the figure as a Toy Story 4 Easter egg.
Pixar frequently hides a character or other Easter egg from upcoming projects in their movies: Nemo made a cameo as a toy in 2001’s Monsters, Inc. before audiences met him in 2003’s Finding Nemo, Doc Hudson was spotted in the background of 2004’s The Incredibles before appearing in Cars, and Lots-o’-Huggin’-Bear, the villain of 2010’s Toy Story 3, was first glimpsed in 2009’s Up.
Though Gorman theorizes the action figure could be the villain of Toy Story 4, the toy could be the character voiced by John Wick star Keanu Reeves.
Reported character details would later allege Reeves’ character — who has yet to be revealed in any of the three teasers released thus far — is Duke Kaboom, a heroic toy hailing from “a place where discontinued toys are sent.”
He’s claimed to have ties to Bo Peep (Annie Potts), the porcelain shepherdess and once sweetheart of Woody sold off years ago in a yard sale, who now boasts an adventurous spirit after years of life on the road.
Buzz Lightyear star Tim Allen was the first to let slip Reeves was included among the cast, noting on The Tonight Show in November Reeves’ character is “only that big” when holding his thumb and his index finger just inches apart.
“They really will surprise you with the toys they came up with. Characters came back, new guys in it that are great. Keanu Reeves has got a great part,” Allen said.
“Actually, a little inside story: Even he said — gentle, wonderful guy that he is — ‘This sounds too much like Buzz Lightyear.’ And his character does have an edge to that. And the guy said, ‘So we calmed him down a little bit,’ and they reminded me his toy is only that big.”
Other characters to be introduced in Toy Story 4 include Forky (Tony Hale), a spork with pipecleaner arms who believes he’s “trash” and not a toy, and feisty carnival prize duo Ducky (Keegan-Michael Key) and Bunny (Jordan Peele).
Toy Story 4 releases June 21.