Woody given new look in Toy Story 5 trailer and it's making people feel old

The long-awaited trailer for Toy Story 5 landed yesterday, but fans claim one aspect of the preview left them a little teary-eyed.

For those in need of a reminder, the first of the Disney-Pixar cartoon-comedies was released all the way back in 1995, and saw Tom Hanks take on the voice of toy cowboy, Sheriff Woody, the favourite of his owner, Andy.

Along with numerous other playthings - including cadet action figure Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen) - he comes to life when humans aren’t around, often winding up trapped in some tricky situations.

Following the success of the debut flick, a further four films were commissioned by Disney bosses, the most recent of which was only announced back in February 2023. It would take a further two years before fans would finally receive a first look at Toy Story 5, with the trailer only landing yesterday (19 Feb).

It sees Hanks and Allen reprise their roles, as they take on a whole new challenge - technology.

Buzz and Jessie’s owner Bonnie, is gifted a Lilypad tablet, but her beloved toys fear it’ll stop the youngster from immersing herself in the real world - specifically, making friends - as well as seeing the rest of their play pals cast aside. Thankfully, Woody arrives to aid their survival.

Dropping into the trailer, however, one particularly poignant moment sees the toy sheriff turning around to show what appears to be a bald spot.

“Someone needs a brown marker,” one toy even jibes.

Apparently, the visual change has left some fans of the original movie feeling hella old, with some praising Pixar and Disney executives for the inclusion of the bittersweet moment.

"That’s such a small detail, but it makes it more emotional," one X (formerly Twitter) user wrote. "Seeing Woody age in Toy Story 5 shows how much time has passed. This is going to hit hard for longtime fans."

The paint on the back of Woody's head appears a little thin (Walt Disney Studios)

Another added: "For toy collectors, this is a nod to 'Plastic Degradation.' High-end figures from the 90s are literally falling apart in real life right now, so a balding Woody is a tragic, realistic tribute to the toys we actually kept."

"Omg Woody ageing like fine wine... or fine bald spot?" a third noted. "This is genius Pixar ageing realism! Can't wait for Toy Story 5—June can't come soon enough. Toys growing up hits different."

Another claimed: "We’re not ready to see Woody age… this hurts more than Andy leaving."

"We grew up with him… now we watching him thin on top. Cinema," added a fifth.

"Wait that’s actually kinda sad," a sixth went on. "We’ve all grown up now."

"Woody balding just means we’re all getting old together - Pixar really said no one is safe from time," continued another.