Inside Out 2 Restores Pixar's Oldest Tradition 4 Years After Breaking It

Summary

• Inside Out 2's trailer confirms John Ratzenberger is finally returning to Pixar after missing most of their recent movies.
• A Ratzenberger cameo was once considered Pixar's good luck charm.
• Ratzenberger's comeback hopefully means appearances in future Pixar movies like Toy Story 5.

Inside Out 2's trailer introduces all the new emotions Riley has to confront and also confirms Pixar is restoring an old tradition with the return of a certain character. After a long stretch where Pixar was focused on producing sequels to their biggest hits (Finding Dory, Incredibles 2, etc), in recent years they've largely focused on original projects. Some, such as 2020's Soul, were acclaimed upon arrival, while the likes of Elemental was considered a critical and commercial disappointment.

Pixar's movie output was considered bulletproof thanks to a run of instant classics like Monsters, Inc., but it's unreasonable to expect they can hit a home run with every single movie. That said, their follow-up to Elemental is another sequel that already looks like a big course correction. Inside Out 2 picks up many years after the 2015 original, where the now teenage Riley (Kensington Tallma) has to deal with the influx of new emotions that making new friends can bring. Inside Out 2's trailer introduces four new emotions, including Paul Walter Hauser's Embarrassment and Anxiety (Maya Hawke).

Inside Out 2 Confirms John Ratzenberger's Return To Pixar Movie Roles

Ratzenberger has been missing from Pixar since Onward

Pixar has layered many easter eggs into their work, but one beloved recurring element was that actor John Ratzenberger would appear in all of their movies. He was perfect casting for Toy Story's Hamm - a role he reprised in every subsequent sequel - and from there, a Ratzenberger cameo became Pixar's good luck charm. He has played an array of supporting roles in their films, even if they amounted to little more than cameos.

However, Ratzenberger reprising his role as Fritz in Inside Out 2 marks his first voice role in a Pixar production since 2020's Onward.

Ratzenberger missed several of Pixar's recent films, including Luca and Turning Red. Ratzenberger had a silent physical in Soul, where a background character was made to resemble the actor. There was no clear reason for Ratzenberger's absence from the studio's later projects, and there were no signs of a falling out between the actor and the studio; in fact, he reprised his role as Yeti for the 2021 animated TV spinoff Monsters at Work.

Why John Ratzenberger's Inside Out 2 Cameo Is So Exciting

John Ratzenberger returning as Fritz for Inside Out 2 is great news - even if the part probably amounts to another brief cameo. Fritz's role in the original Inside Out was brief, with the character being a Mind Worker who upgraded Riley's emotion console in the final scenes. Even so, it's just comforting to hear his distinctive tones in a new Pixar movie. Ratzenberger's comeback also suggests he'll return for future movies with the studio, be it Elio or Toy Story 5.

Source: The Walt Disney Company