Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Inside Out 2!
Summary
Inside Out 2restored 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 inevery Pixar moviefor 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 otherInside Out 2Easter eggs, listening for the cameo is something to look forward to. My first exposure to Ratzenberger’s voice came as Hamm in theToy Storymovies, 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 2restores John Ratzenberger’s Pixar cameo tradition.
Inside Out 2 Ending Explained
Inside Out 2’s emotional ending highlights Riley’s character growth and builds on the underlying moral themes of the original Inside Out.
Inside Out 2 Gives John Ratzenberger His First Cameo Since 2020
He’s Been Missing Since Onward
John Ratzenberger’sInside Out 2cameo 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 briefrole for John Ratzenberger, one that theInside Out 2trailers first revealed in its near entirety. Despite how small of a part Fritz plays inInside Out 2, the cameo is still significant sinceit’s been four years since Ratzenberger was part of a Pixar movie.
John Ratzenberger did have a role in Pixar’s show Monsters at Work seasons 1 and 2
Prior to returning inInside Out 2, John Ratzenberger’s last Pixar cameo came in 2020’sOnward. He also played a construction worker in the fantasy film. Ratzenberger was then left out ofSoul,Luca,Turning Red,Lightyear, andElemental, even thoughSoulincluded a John Ratzenberger cameoin a different way. This created abelief that Pixar was done including the actoras a cameo in the studio’s new films.Inside Out 2made sure that the cameo tradition was not officially over by bringing him back once again.
Every Pixar Movie Without A John Ratzenberger Cameo
Part of Pixar movies' memorability is their long-lasting traditions, but the John Ratzenberger cameo one is missing from these films.
Ratzenberger Was Already Part Of The Franchise
It only made sense forInside Out 2to 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, withLightyearbeing the exception as an expansion of theToy Storyfranchise.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 inLightyear, and the other movies chose not to utilize him.
Inside Out 2is different, though, since audiences had already heard his voice in the previous installment. This includes Fritz playing a role inInside Out’s endingand setting up the puberty storyline for the sequel.It would have been more noticeable for John Ratzenberger to be left out ofInside Out 2than 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 ofJohn 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 forInside Out 2only to stop doing them again would be a disappointing result.
There is currentlyno 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 otherupcoming Pixar moviesdo not include Ratzenberger cameos,it is quite likely that audiences will hear his voice again inToy 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 thatInside Out 2has restored his cameos,Elioand others will hopefully include his recognizable voice too.
