It’s been almost seven years since Cars 3 was released in theaters, and back then, most fans were dead sure that a Cars 4 update was coming soon. In 2017, producers openly discussed the possibility of expanding the franchise, and Owen Wilson, the voice of Lightning McQueen, even hinted at a potential reinvention of the racing series. Fast forward to today, and Disney has been announcing sequels left, right, and center to beloved franchises like Zootopia, Toy Story, Frozen, Inside Out, and Moana, yet Cars remains absent from the lineup.
Sure, we’ve got a handful of Cars animated shorts, video games, and even a spinoff Planes franchise, but there’s still no sign of Cars 4. With each passing year, the question grows louder: What’s next for the Cars franchise? Is Lightning McQueen gone for good, or is there more to his story? Here’s a rundown of everything we know so far.
Cars 4 Will Most Likely Shift Focus Away from Lightning McQueen
Cars 3 introduced Cruz Ramirez as Lightning McQueen’s trainer, and the ending served as a sort of passing of the torch, where she ended up taking McQueen’s place in the final race. The ending seemed to suggest Cruz would become the new face of the franchise. And right after Cars 3 hit theaters, Brian Fee (who directed the film) also hinted that if they do another sequel, it’d probably focus on new faces because Cars 3 was the third and final act of the McQueen story.
So, even though Cars 4 isn’t a sure thing, it’s not completely off the table. If they do make it, though, McQueen will most probably take on a smaller, mentor-like role, reminiscent of Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) in the Creed movies. But then again, Toy Story 3 was also written as the final film in the franchise and was the definitive end of Buzz and Woody’s stories, but Toy Story 4 found (for better or for worse) a way to bring these characters back for another adventure. Cars could very well do the same.
Jay Ward Confirmed That Multiple Cars Projects Are in the Works
In December 2023, Jay Ward (character manager, art coordinator, and voice contributor for the Cars franchise) hinted at new Cars projects in the pipeline during the Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7. Now, he didn’t straight-up say it’s Cars 4, but he did mention that there were multiple projects in the works and that we’ll get to see them in a couple of years. The statement is a bit vague though. When he says “projects,” he could mean anything from TV shorts to full-blown feature films.
However, it’s important to note that Disney now seems super keen on reviving the Cars franchise. In 2022, they dropped a series of eight-minute Cars shorts called Cars on the Road on Disney+. The shorts probably served as a litmus test to see if fans would still be interested in the franchise after all this time. And the answer was a resounding YES! The series scored a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, proving there’s still a passionate fanbase eager for more Cars content.
Plus, Cars is an absolute juggernaut when it comes to merchandise and toy sales, which is a major revenue driver for Disney. Not to mention, Cars-themed attractions at Disney parks continue to draw crowds of fans. With all this love for Cars, Disney’s probably itching to bring it back to the big screen. Moreover, given the long list of fan-favorite sequel announcements by Disney and the fact that Pixar is no longer developing series for Disney+ due to the platform’s unprofitability, the possibility of Cars 4 seems increasingly likely.
So Will There Be a Cars 4?
Ultimately, we have no official word on Cars 4. While we can be certain that the Cars franchise will continue, we do not know whether it’ll be through a new film installment, a Disney+ show, or perhaps even another Planes-style spinoff. If there is indeed a Cars 4 in the works, all eyes will be on the 2024 D23 Expo happening in August. It’s the perfect stage for Disney to make the official announcement that fans have been desperately waiting for. There are six unannounced Disney projects slated for release in 2025 and 12 unannounced projects slated for release in 2026, and one of these could potentially be a Cars project. Also, check out how Cars 3 could possibly be the final ode to Lightning McQueen.
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