Obviously, the core toys of Toy Story make these movies so incredibly special. However, the world is also so wonderful because of all the other unique toys that pop up during Buzz, Woody and co.’s adventures. For example, there’s one G.I. Joe-like doll who has shown up a few times, and he has become quite an iconic character. To make him even more legendary, Tom Hanks recalled a story that revealed how he was involved with the naming of this toy.
In the first Toy Story (which you can stream with a Disney+ subscription), the toys all gather around the window and see Sid explode a G.I. Joe-like doll. His name is “Combat Carl,” which Woody states as they look out the window. Since they couldn’t use the name of the real military doll in the movie, they had to come up with something new, and it turns out Tom Hanks was the one to coin the name “Combat Carl,” as he explained to Disney Studios UK ahead of Toy Story 5’s release on the 2026 movie schedule:
I would like to bring back Combat Carl. I must say, I love Combat Carl because I helped name him. That was something. As a matter of fact, when we were doing it, they said, ‘We’re gonna have like a G.I. Joe figure, but we can’t get the licensing for G.I. Joe.’ And so I said, ‘How about Combat Carl?’ And they said ‘That’s the name.’ So, that gives me pleasure.
Considering Toy Story came out over 30 years ago, and Combat Carl has continued to pop up in projects across the franchise, Hanks should be proud of himself.
After his brief appearance (and explosion) in Toy Story, Combat Carl returned in a big way for the special Toy Story OF TERROR! That’s when the late great Carl Weathers took over the character (and the character of Combat Carl Jr.).
Following that special, Weathers returned to voice the Combat Carls in Toy Story 4. In that movie (which I thought was a great idea, by the way), Woody and Bo Peep run into a trio of Combat Carls dressed for different military functions. They give a lot of high-fives and are very thrilled about a party happening at the park, because it means there will be kids there who will play with them.
It was a fun way to have the character come back, and it was an awesome reference back to both Toy Story OF TERROR! and the original Toy Story. I bet it also made Tom Hanks happy to see the character he helped name back in the story.
Now, in Toy Story 5, we’ll get to see Combat Carl once again. However, this time, Ernie Hudson will be voicing the iconic toy.
Overall, I love that this character keeps coming back. It makes sense too; he’s so gosh-darn fun. Personally, I love this character who always talks in the third-person and loves to give a high-five. And I’m so excited to see how he is incorporated into the next adventure.
So, everyone say thank you to Tom Hanks for his hand in helping Combat Carl come to life. Now, to see both Woody and Combat Carl in action, you can catch Toy Story 5 in theaters starting June 19.
