On February 19, Disney and Pixar unveiled a fresh teaser for the highly anticipated Toy Story 5, depicting Woody and his iconic ensemble as they grapple with the digital encroachment of tablet computers. While the return of Tom Hanks as Woody is a welcome constant, the internet was left scratching its head over why Toby Fox, the enigmatic creator of Undertale and Deltarune, was discussing the film as if he were part of the creative team.
“Super excited this is finally announced. Can’t wait for you guys to see what we have in store for you this time,” Fox shared on X (formerly Twitter), quote-tweeting the trailer. The post quickly amassed over 154,000 likes, leading some to wonder if Fox had transitioned into mainstream animation. In reality, this was a sophisticated piece of meta-humor aimed at the Undertale and Deltarune community—a group that thrives on obscure memes and recurring inside jokes.
Deltarune, Fox’s episodic spiritual successor to Undertale, is being released in stages. Prior to the launch of Chapters 3 and 4, a persistent fan theory suggested that a character resembling Woody—or at least a “legally distinct” cowboy puppet—would serve as a hidden antagonist. Each chapter of the RPG traditionally features a secret boss fight: optional, notoriously difficult encounters that provide cryptic glimpses into the game’s deeper mythology.
The “Woody Theory” began as tongue-in-cheek speculation but eventually took on a life of its own. Its roots trace back to a 2019 Tumblr post by Fox, which featured a haunting, distorted remix of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” with altered lyrics emphasizing a “friend inside me.” Following the introduction of Spamton—a discarded puppet representing the clutter of the digital age—in Chapter 2, fans began drawing parallels between the themes of abandonment in Toy Story and the existential dread found in Deltarune.
Fox fueled the fire by mentioning a “cowboy-themed” section of the game that was eventually scaled back. While the final version of Chapter 3 includes a shooting-gallery minigame with a Western aesthetic, the more elaborate theories regarding a Woody-esque boss remain a staple of fan discussions and Reddit threads.
Thematic similarities between the two properties are surprisingly abundant. Both Toy Story 5 and Deltarune explore the anxiety of older relics being rendered obsolete by modern technology. By reposting the trailer, Fox isn’t just trolling; he is playfully acknowledging the narrative overlap that his community has spent years deconstructing.
Ultimately, Fox’s involvement in the Pixar sequel is nonexistent. However, his cheeky endorsement ensures the Woody theory will remain a vibrant part of the Deltarune zeitgeist until Chapter 5 is released, which Fox has indicated will happen later this year.
Source: Polygon
