Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Inside Out 2!

Inside Out 2 restored a cherished tradition for Pixar, and I could not be happier that a John Ratzenberger cameo happened again. There are plenty of clever references and Easter eggs that Pixar tends to include in each of their movies. Whether its a Pizza Planet Truck sighting or an A113 reference, which connects to Pixar’s origins, these elements are expected to be seen in the animated studio’s newest offerings. The recognizable voice of John Ratzenberger also became a staple, as he had cameos or roles in every Pixar movie for most of its lifespan.

While his presence in the productions is typically left as an expected surprise, it was always a delight when Ratzenberger’s voice would be heard. Just like finding the other Inside Out 2 Easter eggs, listening for the cameo is something to look forward to. My first exposure to Ratzenberger’s voice came as Hamm in the Toy Story movies, and growing up on Pixar movies made his vocals only more recognizable. When Pixar stopped including him in its movies for a few years, it was disappointing. Thankfully, Inside Out 2 restores John Ratzenberger’s Pixar cameo tradition.

Inside Out 2 Gives John Ratzenberger His First Cameo Since 2020

He’s Been Missing Since Onward

John Ratzenberger’s Inside Out 2 cameo comes as he returns to the role of Fritz, a construction worker who exists in Riley’s mind. Fritz comes back as Joy and the other emotions encounter the Sar-chasm and ask for help. It is a brief role for John Ratzenberger, one that the Inside Out 2 trailers first revealed in its near entirety. Despite how small of a part Fritz plays in Inside Out 2, the cameo is still significant since it’s been four years since Ratzenberger was part of a Pixar movie.

Prior to returning in Inside Out 2, John Ratzenberger’s last Pixar cameo came in 2020’s Onward. He also played a construction worker in the fantasy film. Ratzenberger was then left out of Soul, Luca, Turning Red, Lightyear, and Elemental, even though Soul included a John Ratzenberger cameo in a different way. This created a belief that Pixar was done including the actor as a cameo in the studio’s new films. Inside Out 2 made sure that the cameo tradition was not officially over by bringing him back once again.

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John Ratzenberger’s Pixar Return In Inside Out 2 Had To Happen

Ratzenberger Was Already Part Of The Franchise

It only made sense for Inside Out 2 to be the movie that restored John Ratzenberger’s cameo trend for Pixar. His absence coincided with the studio’s renewed efforts for original storytelling instead of making sequels, with Lightyear being the exception as an expansion of the Toy Story franchise. It could have been easy for Pixar to give a small role to John Ratzenberger in any of the recent films, but he did not have any existing connections to these projects. He couldn’t voice Hamm again in Lightyear, and the other movies chose not to utilize him.

Inside Out 2 is different, though, since audiences had already heard his voice in the previous installment. This includes Fritz playing a role in Inside Out‘s ending and setting up the puberty storyline for the sequel. It would have been more noticeable for John Ratzenberger to be left out of Inside Out 2 than the prior films. His return to Pixar also comes after his absences gained more notoriety, so the pleas to have his voice be part of future projects may have helped facilitate a return here.

Pixar Must Keep Up The John Ratzenberger Cameo Tradition After Inside Out 2 Now

Will He Return In Elio?

Now that Pixar has brought back the tradition of John Ratzenberger’s cameos, the question turns to whether this was an outlier to the recent trend or a correction to the previous status quo. If there is any debate within Pixar, the answer must be to keep him around. John Ratzenberger is a key figure within the history of the animated studio, and his repeat appearances over the years became something many look forward to. Taking the cameos away and bringing him back for Inside Out 2 only to stop doing them again would be a disappointing result.

There is currently no confirmation that John Ratzenberger has additional Pixar roles lined up, though. The studio’s next movie, Elio, is another original story, so it could follow suit with Pixar’s previous originals by leaving him out. Since there is still plenty of time before the movie comes out, hopefully the studio will reverse course and include a cameo for him if one is not already in the cards.

Even if other upcoming Pixar movies do not include Ratzenberger cameos, it is quite likely that audiences will hear his voice again in Toy Story 5. It is expected that Hamm will return as part of Bonnie’s toy collection once more. That would guarantee that John Ratzenberger makes at least one more Pixar appearance on the horizon. But now that Inside Out 2 has restored his cameos, Elio and others will hopefully include his recognizable voice too.

Inside Out 2

Director

Kelsey Mann

Release Date

June 14, 2024

Writers

Meg LeFauve

Cast

Amy Poehler , Tony Hale , Maya Hawke , Liza Lapira , Lewis Black , Phyllis Smith , Diane Lane

Runtime

96 Minutes