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Tom Hanks believes AI could replace him as Woody in Toy Story franchise: ‘It’s a scary thought’
Tom Hanks recently admitted that it is scary to think Disney could make Toy Story sequels without him, thanks to AI.
Could Toy Story’s Woody return without Tom Hanks? The Oscar-winning actor believes it's entirely possible. He believes Disney may not need him to return as Woody if the studio decides to make Toy Story 6 or future instalments.
Hanks said Disney could recreate the beloved cowboy's iconic voice for Toy Story 6, and even future films, without bringing him back into the recording studio. With more than three decades' worth of Woody dialogue on record, Tom noted that AI could potentially stitch together new lines from his past performances.
Tom Hanks on his fears
Recently, Tom expressed his views on the future of Toy Story and his fear during a conversation with Entertainment Weekly.
Tom said, “If you’re gonna do another Toy Story, it better be worthwhile. It better be great. You better be examining some theme that is not just dragging it out because people like the title. I mean, it is a huge corporate business without a doubt, I’m not gonna discount that. But unless it’s good, new, fresh, there’s no reason to do it at all.”
However, the actor admitted that he knows Disney may not even need him if it decides to make Toy Story 6. With over three decades of recorded dialogue from his time voicing Woody, the studio could potentially use AI to recreate the beloved character’s voice, stitching together new lines without requiring Tom to step into the recording booth.
“Time is undefeated. The question would be whether or not we could cobble together some version of me. Every word we have ever recorded in time in Toy Story is on digital media somewhere, so they could put together anything they would want.” Tom and his longtime co-star Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear) both agreed the idea is “a scary thought.”
Previously, during his appearance on The Adam Buxton Podcast in 2023, the actor spoke about how AI and deepfake technology could mean that death is no longer the end of an actor’s career. “Anybody can now recreate themselves at any age they are by way of AI or deep fake technology. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and that’s it, but performances can go on and on and on and on. Outside the understanding of AI and deepfake, there’ll be nothing to tell you that it’s not me and me alone. And it’s going to have some degree of lifelike quality. That’s certainly an artistic challenge, but it’s also a legal one,” he said at that time.
About the film
At the moment, Tom is back as Woody in Toy Story 5, which set a franchise record with its massive $312 million worldwide opening. The film brings the Toy Story Universe into the technology age. The toys are threatened when Bonnie's (Scarlett Spears) parents buy her Lilypad (Greta Lee), a smart device designed to help her connect with other kids her age in a virtual playground rather than a physical one. The film is directed by Andrew Stanton.
