Owen Wilson will once again be playing the character of Lightning McQueen in the upcoming animated show, titled Lightning Racers. This news comes after an official announcement from Disney and Pixar stating the creation of this project as the next big thing in the franchise. The animated series, targeted towards a young audience, will stream on Disney+ soon, after its launch on Disney Jr. in 2027.
Lightning McQueen mentors the next generation in returning to Radiator Springs
In the show, Lightning McQueen will make a return to Radiator Springs as the mentor to a group of up-and-coming racers. Besides him, Larry the Cable Guy will reprise his role as Mater to keep the classic duo alive.
Other than McQueen and Mater, the show will feature two newcomers named Pipes and Miles, voiced by Leah Lewis and Yuri Lowenthal, respectively. Pipes will be an adrenaline junkie and an extreme drag racer, whereas Miles will love mud more than anything else in a monstrous truck.
Ms. Blinker will be the other newcomer to join the gang in the shape of a guidance counselor for the young racers of the city, played by veteran actress Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Voice actors returning to the show include Bonnie Hunt as Sally Carrera, Tony Shalhoub as Luigi, Jenifer Lewis as Flo, Cheech Marin as Ramone, Bob Peterson as Chick Hicks, and John Ratzenberger as Mack. Executive producers Travis Braun, Frank Montagna, and Nathan Chew, as the supervising directors for the show.
Lightning Racers stands out from other spin-offs in how it is being created specifically for the preschool audience, with a simple narrative based around themes like friendship, teamwork, and learning. This shows a different approach by the creators compared to previous projects in this franchise.
Notably, the new project will see the return of the main setting of the Cars franchise, Radiator Springs. It is worth mentioning that the Cars franchise has not used this place as the location since the movie Cars 3 came out in 2017.
