Toy Story 4: 19 Easter Eggs & References Explained

By Jack Pooley / June 25, 2019

5. Astro Boy

After Buzz ends up trapped as a fairground prize, he's introduced to Ducky and Bunny, with Ducky instantly referring to him as "Astro Boy."

Astro Boy is of course a Japanese manga and anime series, which was eventually adapted into a Hollywood CGI animated movie in 2009.

But it's an especially telling reference where Buzz is concerned, given that Astro Boy revolves around an android with human emotions, just as Buzz's arc throughout the Toy Story franchise has involved him coming to terms with the fact he's a toy with feelings and, ultimately, a conscience.

It's not much of a leap to assume that Astro Boy has a couple of fans at Pixar.