7 Stages Of Riley's Life That Could Be Explored In Inside Out 3 (2024)

Spoilers are ahead for Inside Out 2's ending.

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.

7 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.

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.

6 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.

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.

5 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.

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.

4 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. The first Inside Out movie didn't shy away from darker themes. As Riley feels more isolated from her old life — her friends, her hockey team, and her past self — she begins to shut down. As Riley's personality islands crumble, so does her identity. The once happy-go-lucky kid is burdened by sadness, feeling as though the weighty emotion will never relent.

Of course, the depression that Riley experiences in Inside Out is much different from what it would be like for the character to navigate grief. In fact, grief, which feels more temporary than other emotions, could introduce a compelling new wrinkle into the world of Riley's personified emotions too. Often, kids experience the loss of a grandparent or older relative first. While viewers haven't been introduced to Riley's extended family, the death of a grandparent could push Riley's family to return to Minnesota, digging into memories that are both so painful and joyful all at once.

3 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 in order to attend college. Be it across the state or across the country, Riley's college-going experience would see her moving — yet again. Unlike the first movie, however, the move would be Riley's choice. Plus, Riley's parents wouldn't be moving with her, which would be a great narrative element for Pixar to tackle. In Inside Out 2, Riley's parents have a much smaller role. After all, their now-teenage daughter is more focused on friends than family.

For many teenagers who leave home after high school, these priorities kind of shift once more. Friends and family become equally important again, especially as teens leave the nest. Although the Riley of Inside Out 2 probably wouldn't want to admit to needing her parents' help or advice, a college-bound Riley would probably find herself on the phone with her dad or frantically texting her mom. Most significantly, another cross-country move storyline would allow Inside Out 3 to echo the first movie in a really satisfying way, all while adding a fresh perspective.

2 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 well-trodden college narrative altogether and focus on Riley's post-university experiences as she settles into young adulthood. From graduating from college and picking a career path to trying to hold onto far-flung friends, there's plenty for a post-college Inside Out story to tackle. Mostly, it's all about juggling and discovering one's self outside the confines of home or college. A story about Riley carving her own path could even provide her emotions with the freedom to settle into new stages too.

In past installments, Riley's parents' emotions are all very similar appearance-wise. In fact, they all look like echoes of the humans whose minds they inhabit. It's possible that, in the lore of Inside Out, a young adult like Riley just hasn't settled into herself yet. If Inside Out 3 wants to take a look at why adults' personified emotions look pretty uniform (as opposed to Riley's), that could easily pair with a story about embracing one's identity and life choices as a young adult. Plus, the idea of the emotions as viewers know them changing also raises the stakes.

1 Riley Studies Abroad

An Overseas Move Could Be Fun For A Future Inside Out Movie

Again, any sort of new move could create a fun, full-circle moment for the Inside Out franchise. Unlike a college-bound move, Riley preparing to study abroad opens up a whole world of possibilities — literally. Sometimes, a fresh setting is all a franchise needs to feel reinvigorated, and playing with the idea of different cultural associations and ideas of emotions, mental health, and more could lead to a pretty compelling and eye-opening narrative. Not to mention, studying overseas would help differentiate Inside Out from the top-notch college gags in Monsters University.

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

Inside Out 2

3.5

PG

Adventure

Comedy

Animation

Inside Out 2 is the sequel to the 2015 original film, which starred a young girl named Riley with a head full of emotions. - literally. With Amy Pohler as Joy, Bill Hader as fear, Mindy Kaling as Disgust, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, and Lewis Black as Anger, the all-star cast brought to life the emotions that adolescents face as they grow, change, and adapt to new situations. This sequel, currently in development, will bring Amy Pohler back as Joy, with Riley, now a teenager.

Director

Kelsey Mann

Release Date

June 14, 2024

Studio(s)

Disney

Distributor(s)

Disney

Writers

Meg LeFauve , Dave Holstein , Kelsey Mann

Cast

Amy Poehler , Tony Hale , Maya Hawke , Liza Lapira , Lewis Black , Phyllis Smith , Diane Lane

Runtime

96 Minutes

Franchise(s)

Disney

prequel(s)

Inside Out

Main Genre

Animation