'Cars' Franchise Keeps Rolling as Disney Goes All in on Sequels

If you thought Lightning McQueen had raced his final race, think again – a Cars 4 is seemingly on the way.

It’s been eight years since we last saw Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) in Cars 3 (2017), but according to the studio’s creative director, Jay Ward, we can expect to see him again in the future. Pixar Animation is reportedly working on yet another Cars project.

The confirmation came from an interview with Ward at the 2023 Porsche Rennsport Reunion Event by The Late Brake Show. While discussing the design of Sally Carrera (Bonnie Hunt) – McQueen’s girlfriend in the series – Ward admitted that McQueen’s story isn’t done quite yet.

“There are more Cars things brewing,” he said. “I can’t say much more yet. Cars has got a life that will keep going. I am working on some real fun projects right now that you will see in a couple of years. It takes us a while to make them.”

What’s the Current Status of ‘Cars 4’?

It’s been well over a year since Ward dropped this tidbit about a fourth Cars film, and we still don’t have official word from Disney, so it seems safe to say it may not hit our screens anytime soon. We’re also slightly shocked by the idea that there’s more Cars coming at all. As of 2025, the franchise consists of three films, two spinoff films, five short films, and three TV series.

However, not all of these projects have been well received. The first spinoff, Planes (2013), was widely panned by critics, while Cars 2 (2011) and Cars 3 (2017) rank among Pixar’s not-so-positively reviewed feature films on Rotten Tomatoes.

Yes, even worse than Lightyear (2022).

There’s not exactly a lot of mileage (pardon the pun) left for Lightning McQueen and company. Both of its sequels were accused of dragging out unnecessary plot points, detracting from the core story told in the original film. It’s tough to picture another film that doesn’t do the same thing.

Whether or not the world actually needs another Cars movie, it’s also interesting to see Pixar pivoting towards even more sequels. Back in 2019, the studio promised that Toy Story 4 (2019) would be its last sequel for a while.

Just six years later, Pixar seems to be backtracking on this promise. Over the next few years, audiences can expect Toy Story 5, The Incredibles 3, Coco 2 (arguably the least necessary Pixar sequel of all time), and, it seems, Cars 4.

We are also notably receiving an original film in the form of Elio (2025) – which follows an 11-year-old who accidentally finds himself recognized as the intergalactic ambassador of Earth – in just a few weeks.

While there was a time when Pixar not only delivered but arguably overdelivered with its sequels, its latest releases have faced shaky reactions from both audiences and critics. Fingers crossed Pixar can get its kachow back ASAP.

Are you excited about Cars 4? Let us know in the comments!