Disney and Pixar were hoping the final weeks before Toy Story 5 (2026) hit theaters would be filled with excitement, nostalgia, and anticipation for the return of Woody and Buzz Lightyear.
Instead, the studio suddenly finds itself in the middle of a plagiarism controversy.
A newly revealed character from the upcoming sequel has sparked major backlash online after fans noticed what they believe are undeniable similarities to a famous Cartoon Network character. The accusations escalated quickly once Uncle Grandpa creator Pete Browngardt publicly weighed in, accusing Pixar of directly copying one of his creations.
Now, with Toy Story 5 arriving on June 19, the internet is fully locked into debate mode.
The Bad Bunny Character Everyone Is Talking About
The controversy centers around a new toy character called “Pizza with Sunglasses,” voiced by Bad Bunny.
Pixar officially revealed the character during the movie’s latest marketing push tied to the final trailer release. While Disney likely expected fans to focus on the star-powered casting and quirky design, audiences instead immediately connected the character to Pizza Steve from Uncle Grandpa (2013).
The comparisons spread across social media almost instantly.
Both characters feature a slice of pepperoni pizza wearing oversized dark sunglasses. Even though there are some differences in shape and design details, many animation fans felt the similarities were impossible to ignore.
Pete Browngardt himself eventually joined the conversation online, publicly accusing Pixar of ripping off Pizza Steve.
That accusation quickly transformed a simple online comparison into a much bigger story.
Why This Situation Blew Up So Fast
Part of the reason the backlash exploded comes down to timing and nostalgia.
Uncle Grandpa may not have been one of Cartoon Network’s biggest mainstream hits, but Pizza Steve became a surprisingly iconic internet character during the mid-2010s thanks to the show’s chaotic humor and meme-friendly style.
For many fans who grew up during that era of animation, Pizza Steve instantly became recognizable the second Pixar revealed “Pizza with Sunglasses.”
And right now, social media thrives on spotting similarities between new releases and older media.
The situation also arrives during an especially important moment for Pixar.
While the studio remains one of the biggest names in animation, there has been increasing conversation about Disney and Pixar relying too heavily on sequels, remakes, and established franchises instead of original ideas. Toy Story 5 already faced skepticism from fans who believed Toy Story 4 (2019) wrapped up the franchise emotionally.
That makes any accusation involving copied ideas even more noticeable.
Disney and Pixar Have Been Through This Before
This is far from the first time Disney or Pixar has faced plagiarism accusations.
Over the years, fans and creators have pointed to similarities between Disney films and previously existing projects. The Lion King (1994) drew comparisons to Kimba the White Lion, while Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) faced accusations involving anime series Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water.
Pixar itself has also dealt with lawsuits and claims surrounding movies like Finding Nemo (2003), Cars 2 (2011), Frozen(2013), Zootopia (2016), and Inside Out (2015).
Most of those situations never seriously disrupted the films themselves. Courts generally require much more than visual similarities or overlapping concepts to establish copyright infringement.
And realistically, that probably will remain true here as well.
A pizza slice wearing sunglasses may feel familiar, but proving legal infringement in animation cases tends to be extremely difficult unless there is clear evidence of direct duplication involving story structure, dialogue, or highly specific creative elements.
Still, that has not stopped fans from arguing online.
Will This Hurt Toy Story 5?
Financially, probably not.
The Toy Story franchise remains one of Pixar’s most successful brands ever, and Disney fully expects the sequel to become one of the studio’s biggest theatrical releases of 2026. Nostalgia alone will likely drive huge audiences to theaters, especially with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen returning once again.
The movie also appears to be leaning heavily into emotional storytelling, modern technology themes, and the evolving relationship children have with toys in today’s screen-dominated world.
But even if the controversy ultimately fades away, it has definitely altered the online conversation surrounding the sequel.
Instead of every discussion being about Woody’s return, Jessie’s larger role, or Pixar’s next emotional adventure, fans are now debating whether Disney accidentally — or intentionally — copied a cult-classic Cartoon Network character.
And with release day only weeks away, the accusations are probably not disappearing anytime soon.
