Just when fans thought they had seen everything Toy Story 5 had to offer, Disney and Pixar are opening the toy box again - and one deleted scene suggests Buzz Lightyear had an even stranger adventure than what made it into theaters.
Ahead of the blockbuster sequel's digital release on August 18, Newsweek has unveiled an exclusive deleted scene featuring Buzz doing what Buzz does best: confidently misunderstanding the world around him.
This time, he's spying on a camping trip.
In the deleted sequence, one of the film's multiple Buzz Lightyears observes a group of humans - or, in wonderfully Buzz-like terminology, "humanoids" - in the wilderness. It is exactly the sort of dead-serious space-ranger behavior that helped make the character a pop-culture icon.
But here's the intriguing part: audiences never got to see it in theaters.
The scene is among the previously unseen extras being released as Toy Story 5 makes the jump from cinemas to home viewing, giving fans their first glimpse at material Pixar ultimately left on the cutting-room floor.
And Disney appears determined to make the home release more than simply another chance to watch the movie.
Bonus material will include a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Toy Story 5, a featurette spotlighting newcomers to the franchise - including Conan O'Brien and Greta Lee - and the traditional gag reel.
There's also a particularly unexpected extra for music fans.
The digital edition will reportedly include Taylor Swift's music video for "I Knew It, I Knew You," adding another major name to a franchise already overflowing with star power.
Why Was The Buzz Scene Deleted?
That may become the question fans start debating once they see the footage.
Deleted scenes can be fascinating precisely because they reveal the movie that almost existed. Sometimes sequences disappear because of pacing. Others are rewritten, shortened or sacrificed because filmmakers decide they distract from the larger story.
In Buzz's case, the camping sequence also highlights one of Toy Story 5's more unusual ideas: there isn't necessarily just one Buzz Lightyear running around anymore.
That gives Pixar plenty of opportunities to play with the character's original joke - a mass-produced toy who sincerely believes he is an actual space ranger.
Nearly three decades after audiences first met Woody and Buzz, apparently there are still Buzz Lightyear jokes Pixar hasn't used.
Toy Story Isn't Done With Us Yet
The bigger story may be just how difficult this franchise has become to put back in the toy box.
What began with Toy Story in 1995 has now followed multiple generations from childhood into adulthood. The characters have become nostalgic figures for parents who are now introducing Woody, Buzz and company to their own children.
That makes deleted footage unusually potent.
For longtime fans, it isn't simply bonus material. It's another few minutes with characters many viewers have known for most of their lives.
And Disney knows exactly how powerful that nostalgia can be.
Toy Story 5 arrives digitally August 18, followed by its 4K UHD and Blu-ray release September 22.
The movie may have left theaters - but Pixar apparently still had a few toys hidden under the bed.
