Fans eagerly awaited Cars 3, anticipating the next chapter in Lightning McQueen’s racing journey. A special preview event at Pixar headquarters offered a glimpse into the film, showcasing about 40 minutes of footage, nearly half of the entire movie. This preview highlighted McQueen’s dramatic crash, his emotional return to Radiator Springs, and the introduction of his new trainer, Cruz Ramirez. However, a notable absence in the preview footage sparked a significant question: what happened to the characters from Cars 2?
The scenes presented from Cars 3 leaned towards a more mature and reflective tone, focusing on themes of aging and overcoming limitations in sports. This contrasted sharply with Cars 2, which took McQueen and Mater on a global spy adventure. Cars 2 expanded the Cars universe with international espionage elements and introduced characters like super-spy Finn McMissile, agent Holly Shiftwell, and Italian racer Francesco Bernoulli. Despite its broadened scope, Cars 2 received mixed reviews and became Pixar’s second-lowest-grossing film when adjusted for inflation.
During the Cars 3 preview, the absence of any Cars 2 characters was palpable. It almost felt as if Cars 3 was intentionally sidestepping the events of its predecessor. Screenwriter Mike Rich even described Cars 3 as the “third act” of McQueen’s story, contrasting young McQueen in Cars 1 with an older McQueen in Cars 3, pointedly omitting any mention of Cars 2. This naturally led to questions about whether Cars 3 would completely disregard Cars 2 and if those globe-trotting characters would reappear in the unseen portion of the film.
When questioned directly about the Cars 2 characters, the Cars 3 writers—Rich, Kiel Murray, Bob Petersen, and story supervisor Scott Morse—initially joked it off, simply stating that McQueen and Mater, who were in Cars 2, are also in Cars 3. However, when pressed specifically about the spy characters, Petersen clarified, “That was Mater’s world. We’re back to Radiator Springs and that team [in Cars 3], because this is McQueen’s story.” Rich further emphasized this point, stating, “That’s where it started for him, Radiator Springs. So we have him at this position in his life and his career.”
This explanation strongly suggests that Finn McMissile, Holly Shiftwell, and the other Cars 2 additions are not intended to play a significant role in Cars 3. While the filmmakers didn’t explicitly confirm their complete absence, the focus is clearly back on Lightning McQueen’s personal journey and his roots in Radiator Springs. Mater, while still present, appears to have a reduced role, with Cruz Ramirez stepping in as a key supporting character in McQueen’s comeback story.
Despite the critical reception, Cars 2 was a financial success and its merchandise remains popular. This leaves the door open for a potential return of Mater’s spy friends in future Cars projects, such as Cars 4 or spin-off shorts. For now, Cars 3 firmly centers on Lightning McQueen, his legacy, and a new generation of characters, seemingly leaving the Cars 2 world behind in favor of a more grounded narrative.
