We haven’t seen Little Bo Peep in the Toy Story franchise for 20 years, but she’s back and she’s no longer just a love interest waiting to be swept off her feet.
To backtrack, before Bo was written out of Toy Story 3 as a yard sale casualty, she was the soft-spoken picture of femininity.
Unfortunately, as a character, Little Bo Peep only really existed as the object of our protagonist Woody’s affection. She was essentially the manic-pixie-dream-girl of the animation world.
But Disney is bringing Bo back into the picture for Toy Story 4 to be the powerful heroine we deserve.
Can we please appreciate that Bo Peep is wearing her damn UNDERWEAR as an outfit! Bow down to a modern woman folks.
See Bo Peep in #ToyStory4 in theaters June 21. pic.twitter.com/FbvqvwDDVV
— Disney (@Disney) January 28, 2019
She has literally turned her skirt into a cape and if that isn’t the symbolic transformation of female characters that we need right now then I don’t know what is.
Is Bo Peep a Toy Story character or ready to fight in Infinity War part 2?? https://t.co/GQw3Gu8tSg
— TRAFON (@RiseFallNick) January 28, 2019
Voiced by Annie Potts, Little Bo Peep now very much has her own narrative and is not here to pander to the male leads.
“Bo’s taken control of her own destiny,” Toy Story 4 director Josh Cooley said in a statement. “While Woody was watching Andy grow up, Bo gathered dust until she took it upon herself to head out into the world. And when Woody shows up, they can’t believe that they’ve found each other again.”
Apparently Bo is now an adventurous free spirit enjoying her life on the road. Woody and Bo are happy for the reunion but we shouldn’t expect to see her falling into Woody’s arms as they grapple with the realisation they now have very disparate philosophies about what it means to be a toy.
Disney announced the return of Bo Peep with a little teaser of Bo swinging back into action.
Basically, pants-wearing, cape-making, independent woman Bo Peep is now the most exciting thing about Toy Story 4. June can’t come soon enough.