6 Stages Of Riley's Life That Could Be Explored In Inside Out 3

Aug. 7, 2024, 3:50 a.m.

Movies

6 Stages Of Riley's Life That Could Be Explored In Inside Out 3

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Spoilers are ahead for Inside Out 2's ending.

Summary The Inside Out series could explore more of Riley's formative life stages, with sequels focusing on things like romantic relationships and young adulthood.

Inside Out 2 sees Riley dealing with panic attacks, strained friendships, and stress, which means Inside Out 3 can build on that foundation.

Potential future stories for another Inside Out movie could highlight first love, first loss, and everything in between.

Pixar's Inside Out series tackles several big moments in its protagonist's life, but future titles could explore even more of Riley's formative life stages. While the original movie chronicles Riley's move from Minnesota to San Francisco, Inside Out 2 centers on puberty. Inside Out 2's cast of characters grow to accommodate Riley's teenage emotions, adding Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) to the high schooler's arsenal of feelings. Inside Out's original emotions — Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Tony Hale), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Liza Lapira) — also return.

The ending of Inside Out sees Riley grappling with depression; unable to understand that things can be both happy and sad, Riley decides to run away from home. Of course, things eventually resolve when Joy allows Sadness to take hold of some of Riley's core memories. Meanwhile, the teenage Riley of Inside Out 2 deals with panic attacks, strained friendships, and the stress of making her high school hockey team. Since Inside Out 2 has broken box office records and generated a truly staggering $1.556 billion thus far, a sequel about another life benchmark is probably on the way.

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6 Riley's Dating Firsts

RIley's First Romantic Relationship Could Be Great Material For Inside Out 3

It's no secret that Riley has a lot of preteen and teenage crushes in the Inside Out movies, but it would be fun to see her explore the "firsts" of an official romantic relationship. That kind of story could be set in either high school or college, depending on how far Pixar wants to fast-forward for Inside Out 3's story. In the first film, Riley's imaginary boyfriend — a figment who would "die for Riley" — is little more than a plot device, while the sequel introduces Riley's Mt. Crushmore — a mix of real-life and fictional crushes.

...if Riley is a queer character, that story could add another dimension to her first romantic relationship.

All of these moments feel juvenile but not in a derogatory way. Instead, it feels like a young girl who's just figuring out her romantic self. Inside Out 2's ending, in particular, sees Riley prioritizing her friendships above all else, but a threequel could see a slightly older RIley's priorities shift as she finds a romantic partner. It would be even more interesting to see Riley in a relationship, navigating benchmarks and milestones — and all the subsequent emotional baggage. Moreover, if Riley is an LGBTQ+ character, that story could add another dimension to her first romantic relationship.

Related Inside Out 2 Supports A Popular Riley Theory (That Disney Will Likely Never Confirm) The first teaser trailer available for Inside Out 2 supports a popular Riley theory that, unfortunately, Disney will probably never confirm.

5 Riley's High School Graduation

Preparing For College Could Be A Great Inside Out Story

While Inside Out 2's story focuses on Riley starting high school, the next movie in the franchise could see Riley graduating and applying for college. Of course, Pixar has another movie in its catalog that focuses on the freshman-at-college experience. Monsters University, the prequel to Monsters Inc., turns back the clock to revisit Mike and Sully's time at college. It feels like Pixar would want to avoid comparisons to its previous movies, which means a high-school graduation — and all the things that come with it — could be perfect for Riley's next outing.

Senior year is often viewed as a teen's "last chance" to do certain things as well as a time for reflection.

Toy Story 3 captures some of those off-to-college feelings, with Andy packing for school in the background of the film. However, Toy Story 3 doesn't focus too heavily on its human characters, so Riley's end-of-high-school narrative would still feel fresh. Not only does the end of high school mean worrying about next steps, but there's also a ton of emphasis put on making memories, attending prom, and other rites of passage. Senior year is often viewed as a teen's "last chance" to do certain things as well as a time for reflection. Cue the tears.

Related How Inside Out 2 Became The Highest Grossing Animated Movie Of All-Time Inside Out 2 has officially surpassed Frozen II as the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, and this is how the Disney sequel did it.

4 Riley's First Job

The Highs & Lows Of Work Could Unfold During High School Or College

If Pixar wants to take a different approach, Inside Out 3 could focus on Riley getting her first job. Other firsts, like learning how to drive, don't really feel like they can be stretched into a feature-length narrative, but depending on the type of job Riley lands, there could be a lot of fodder for both drama and self-reflection. It's clear that Riley cares a lot about hockey and her team, but, given her Anxiety-induced panic attack in Inside Out 2, it's not too clear if Riley plans to pursue the sport after high school.

It's hard to imagine an entire narrative focused on the ups and downs of Riley's first job...

A first job could help pique other professional interests, prompting Riley to apply to certain colleges or explore other extracurriculars. It's hard to imagine an entire narrative focused on the ups and downs of Riley's first job, but the thread could pair perfectly with her last year in high school, the summer before college, or her first year away from home. A new setting could also introduce new emotions to Inside Out's canon — as well as new characters to populate Riley's work world. Plus, it would be great to hear her parents' (Kyle MacLachlan and Diane Lane) job advice.

Related Inside Out vs. Inside Out 2: Which Pixar Movie Is Better Inside Out and Inside Out 2 are both excellent movies, but when comparing their story, animation, cast, and big emotional ending, one stands out.

3 Riley Experiences Loss

A More Emotional Inside Out 3 Could See Riley Grappling With Death For The First Time

Although it may sound like a dark premise, experiencing loss for the first time is an extremely human thing — and Inside Out could help young viewers navigate that sort of isolating experience.

Related I Watched Inside Out 2 And Found It Scarier Than Any Horror Movie Inside Out 2 is a worthy follow-up to the much-loved original, but its story goes into some seriously dark places that some might find disturbing.

2 Riley's First Year At College

Inside Out 3 Could See Riley Navigating Young Adulthood Away From Her Parents

In a kind of full-circle moment, Inside Out 3 could see Riley moving away from home for college.

Related Inside Out 2's Box Office Success Will End Up Being The Worst Thing That Could Happen To Pixar Inside Out 2 has been a massive box office success for Pixar, but this only confirms a harsh reality for the studio's future movie plans.

1 Riley Graduates From College & Gets A Job

Young Adulthood Could Be The Perfect Framing For Inside Out 3

Given the Monsters University of it all, Pixar could skip out on the college narrative altogether and focus on Riley's post-university experiences as she settles into young adulthood.

Inside Out 2 is in theaters nationwide with an expected streaming release window of fall 2024.