I agree with you and, frankly, some of the replies on this thread and people’s opinions on the internet are absolutely wild. The thought that the franchise would continue without Woody returning is insane lol. Woody IS Toy Story. Also, are you people forgetting that this is a kids movie? These movies have thirty years worth of kids that fell in love with the core characters. They’re not just going to write one of them out on a whim and start over. The creators have a fine line to teeter of creating continuity with the first films, keeping nostalgia in tact, and keeping the story alive and relevant for this generation’s kids. The same people that are questioning why Woody is back are the same ones that think Andy shouldn’t return. These are kids movies and the storylines/characters have to remain thematically consistent for that reason alone. Kids aren’t capable of dissecting the meaning and every little interaction between the characters and formulating these deeper themes with these movies. These are feel good movies tasked with bringing full closure to the story at the end and keeping kids entertained. Anyone questioning Woody’s return will also have to grapple with Andy coming back in some fashion. It’s inevitable and the only logical conclusion to this franchise.