Chris Evans Opens Up About “Lightyear” Casting

One of the biggest non-Star Wars or Marvel announcements from Disney’s Investors Day was that there would be a Toy Story spin-off film titled Lightyear. Said film will follow the titular Buzz Lightyear on his intergalactic adventures, though no specific story details were provided.

However, this movie won’t be going into the realm of toys living in the real world as the previous Pixar iterations have. Rather, Lightyear will showcase the exploits of the character that inspired the line of toys from the franchise.

The project is rumored to be taking on a sci-fi epic feel and will be directed by Angus MacLane (“Toy Story of Terror”). Moreover, Tim Allen, who voiced Buzz in the majority of his media appearances, will not be returning. Instead, former Captain America actor Chris Evans is being tapped for the part.

Even though most agree that Evans seems to be a great choice, especially given the more earnest direction the pseudo-reboot is taking, the decision to not bring Allen back has been met with backlash. The famed comedian’s performance as the loudmouth space commando is, arguably, his signature role and is almost universally acclaimed by both fans and critics.

Given the somewhat negative reaction to the news, Chris Evans opened up on Instagram about becoming the new voice of Buzz Lightyear, stating that:

Working with Pixar is a dream come true. I’ve been a massive fan of their films since the very beginning. My team could barely contain their excitement when they told me that Pixar had a pitch for me. All they said was Buzz Lightyear. I didn’t know what that meant, since Tim Allen is Buzz Lightyear, and no one could ever touch his performance. I needed to know how this character was different and why this story was worth telling. I can say two things with absolute confidence: 1. I didn’t stop smiling through the ENTIRE pitch. Ear to ear. 2. Everyone can rest easy. And get very excited. Trust me when I say that they REALLY know what they’re doing over there. This one is gonna special, and it doesn’t step on a single thing.

It’s nice to hear Evans speak so respectfully about Tim Allen’s work, while reiterating that Lightyear is a separate beast. The link to Pixar’s Toy Story appears to be in name only. While some fans remain upset, hopefully these comments can calm the waters. The project is on track for a theatrical release on July 17th, 2022.