How The Lightyear Movie Connects To The Toy Story Movies

The iconic space ranger Buzz is returning to screens with Lightyear and here’s how the new movie connects to the Toy Story series. The animated film will be the 26^th feature from Pixar and is set for release on June 17th, 2022. Lightyear is directed by Angus MacLane, who has worked as an animator and storyboard artist for Pixar since A Bug’s Life in 1998. More recently, he co-directed Finding Dory alongside Andrew Stanton.

Buzz Lightyear was introduced in 1995’s Toy Story, appearing as the latest popular action figure who is gifted to Andy (John Morris) on his birthday. Except for a jealous Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz quickly impresses all the other living toys in Andy’s room. The action figure initially believes himself to be a real space ranger before discovering the truth and developing a close bond with Woody. Voiced by Tim Allen, the beloved character has appeared in all four Toy Story movies, as well as various animated shorts. Lightyear aims to expand on his story by reimagining the character.

Chris Evans voices the new Buzz, but he isn’t replacing Tim Allen. Instead, Lightyear will explore the space ranger’s origins, with Evans playing the in-universe human character who inspires the iconic toy. The upcoming Pixar movie is therefore set before the Toy Story movies but is very much connected to that world and will undoubtedly pay homage to the Toy Story movies in some way. The trailer alone already features several references to the Toy Story movies.

Lightyear is a prequel that depicts the adventures of test pilot Buzz, whose character design strongly resembles that of the Toy Story movies. Although the hero looks the same, it’s currently unclear how his characterization will come across based on the relatively brief trailer. The movie will see him develop into the confident, charming space ranger everyone knows from Toy Story, likely embarking on a life-threatening intergalactic mission that eventually sees him branded a hero back on Earth, prompting the creation of his very own action figure that turned into a franchise. Toy Story 2 revealed that the character has his own video game, which Rex (Wallace Shawn) is seen playing during the film’s opening. The space ranger also inspired the animated television show Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, providing various ways in which the upcoming Lightyear film can expand on the hero’s journey and popularity.

There are sure to be plenty of Toy Story Easter eggs, with the trailer already revealing that the human Buzz will don his famous green and white spacesuit. The first Toy Story showcased the action figure’s accessories, including wings and a red light on his arm, which Buzz mistakenly believed was a real and deadly laser. These features will likely be included in the new movie, with Buzz’s story potentially revolving around adapting to his new suit and learning to become an iconic hero. Evans even delivers Buzz’s iconic catchphrase, so Lightyear may even reveal the origins of some of Buzz’s most well-known lines. The trailer also shows Buzz traveling to different planets and encountering alien creatures, so he may face off against his Toy Story archenemy, Evil Emperor Zurg (Andrew Stanton).

It’s unclear how directly Lightyear ties into the Toy Story movies. Pizza Planet will surely appear in some form, as it has done in previous Pixar movies, and perhaps a member of Andy’s family could appear in a cameo as they hear about the real Buzz’s adventures in the news. Angus MacLane has worked on previous Toy Story productions, so he clearly knows the character well, and will hopefully deliver an exciting, action-packed prequel.

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