While we all knew that stars like Tom Hanks and Tim Allen would be returning to voice their iconic animated roles of Buzz and Woody in Toy Story 4, some of the new additions to the cast have fans the most excited. Particularly John Wick star Keanu Reeves. Allen spilled the beans on Reeves’ casting late last year, but the details of his role had never been confirmed by Disney and Pixar. That is until now, as the studios have now revealed who the action star is playing in the film, and it’s exactly who we’ve been hoping this entire time.
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In Disney’s press release for the Toy Story 4 trailer, Reeves was confirmed to be playing stuntman action figure Duke Caboom, essentially the Canadian version of Evel Knievel. The character seemingly appeared in a cameo during Incredibles 2 last summer, and fans have since theorized that he would have a role in Toy Story 4.
Fortunately, now it’s official. Keanu Reeves is Duke Caboom. While he may seem like a toy who has it all together, Disney and Pixar’s description of the character teases a deeply emotional backstory, one that is sure to be explored in the movie.
“Duke Caboom is a 1970s toy based on Canada’s greatest stuntman. Riding his powerful Caboom stunt-cycle, Duke is always prepared to show off his stunt poses with confidence and swagger. However, Woody learns quickly that Duke has an Achilles heel: He has never been able to do the awesome stunts advertised in his own toy commercial. For years, Duke has been sitting in an antique store, constantly reliving the failures of his tragic past.”
Once the Toy Story 4 producers, along with director Josh Cooley, heard Reeves try his hand at the role, they were sold on his ability to portray the broken-down action star.
“The first time Josh [Cooley] and I talked with Keanu about the role, Keanu became Duke Caboom,” said producer Jonas Rivera. “Keanu was asking great questions that dug deep to find the soul of the character. At one point he stood up on the table in the middle of Pixar’s atrium and struck poses while proclaiming victory. It was so funny. It’s all in the movie and it’s all Keanu.”
Duke Caboom was featured in just a couple of shots in the Toy Story 4 trailer, and he’s flying high above the other toys in the film’s poster. By the looks of things, his tale will tie in closely to Bo Peep’s.
What do you think of Keanu Reeves’ new Toy Story 4 character? Are you excited to see him in action? Let us know in the comments!
Toy Story 4 is set to hit theaters on June 21st.
