By now I’m sure you’ve seen the trailer for Lightyear, the upcoming Toy Story spinoff from Pixar, and have some questions. Specifically… what the heck is going on?
In the Toy Story films, Buzz Lightyear is a flashy spaceman toy voiced by Tim Allen. But in Lightyear, he’s an actual astronaut voiced by Chris Evans in a world where toys don’t come to life who embarks on a dangerous mission in deep space. Are the two characters connected? Do aliens actually exist in the Toy Story universe? Has Chris Evans replaced Tim Allen?
Fortunately, I’m here to answer any questions you may have as best I can. But first, be sure to watch the trailer again to refresh your memory.
Wait, I Thought Buzz Lightyear was a toy?
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Well spotted! In the Toy Story quadrilogy Tim Allen’s Buzz Lightyear is absolutely, unmistakably a lump of plastic - a lesson he learns the hard way in the original movie. Sad cry.
So, who the heck is this new guy?
Another good question, my handsome friend. The simple answer: Chris Evans’ new character is also Buzz Lightyear. This is the hero that inspired the toy in the first place. The upcoming movie Lightyear will show us how Buzz came to be an intergalactic space hero. He’ll fight aliens, travel to distant planets, and do battle with the evil Zurg.
If Buzz Lightyear is a real person then doesn’t that mean aliens exist in Toy Story? I’m confused.
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A lot of people were unclear on this after the trailer launched, and that’s completely understandable. Disney and Pixar didn’t exactly word it very well when they said Lightyear is the story of the hero who inspired the toy - there’s a bit more to it than that.
The long and short of it is that the Buzz Lightyear from Lightyear is absolutely the hero who inspired the toy we see in Toy Story. However, the events of Lightyear are fictional within Toy Story. It’s all very meta.
In Toy Story 2, we see Rex playing a Buzz Lightyear game, right? Think of Lightyear as a similar concept - it’s a movie that exists within the Toy Story universe. In other words, Lightyear is as much a work of fiction to the likes of Woody and Andy as it is to you and I. Buzz Lightyear wasn’t a real astronaut anymore than Spider-Man is a real superhero, but popular creations make good toys, and Lightyear is one such creation.
So Chris Evans isn’t replacing Tim Allen in future Toy Story movies?
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No. Assuming there are any more Toy Story movies left (which I hope not because it’s kind of done), Tim Allen will return to voice Buzz Lightyear the toy. Chris Evans is Buzz Lightyear the man.
Featured Image Credit: DisneyTopics: Disney