‘Toy Story 5′ Should Have Made the New Buzz Lightyears Look and Sound Like Chris Evans’ Version

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It’s likely that Toy Story 5 will continue the series’ tradition of making excellent films. While the Toy Story movies are almost universally loved, there’s one weak spot that remains a problem. The new movie could have addressed this, but it doesn’t seem Pixar is planning to. They appear to be abandoning the failed Lightyear spin-off from three years ago, and aren’t revisiting it.

Released in the summer of 2022, Lightyear wasn’t a bad movie, but its complicated storyline didn’t quite work. The film is actually presented within the Toy Story universe as the movie that inspired Andy’s love for the Buzz Lightyear toy. Despite being an ambitious project, it didn’t perform well in theaters, and many fans were disappointed, especially after the success of the four previous Toy Story films. Since its release, Lightyear has largely been ignored, and it appears this will continue with the upcoming Toy Story 5.

How ‘Toy Story 5’ Could Have Fixed ‘Lightyear’s Weird Creative Decisions

As a big fan, I’ve been trying to wrap my head around the connection between the new movie, Lightyear, and the Buzz Lightyear toy from the original Toy Story. Apparently, Lightyear is supposed to be the movie that inspired Andy to want that Buzz Lightyear toy! That makes Tim Allen’s Buzz a piece of merchandise from this new movie, even though, within the Toy Story world, Lightyear would have come out way back in the 90s. Honestly, it’s a bit confusing! The biggest thing that throws me is that Tim Allen’s Buzz doesn’t really look or sound like the character in Lightyear, who Chris Evans voices. So, either Tim Allen’s Buzz isn’t a very accurate Lightyear toy, or he’s based on something else entirely. A lot of people think he’s modeled after the Buzz Lightyear video game we see at the start of Toy Story 2. Game characters often get redesigned, so maybe Lightyear started a whole franchise, but the game and Tim Allen’s version of Buzz ended up being more popular! Or, maybe the original toy – the one Tim Allen voiced – was actually based on an earlier version of the Lightyear story!

Let’s talk about Toy Story 5. The next movie will include a large group of Buzz Lightyears – all voiced by Tim Allen – who are stuck in toy mode and will be the villains. These Buzz Lightyears are meant to commemorate something, likely an anniversary of the toy or the Lightyear movie. It’s a missed opportunity that these new Buzzes don’t resemble or sound like the Chris Evans version. If the original Tim Allen Buzz has become more famous and successful than the Lightyear version, that could explain why they’re the bad guys. It would also finally explain why Allen’s Buzz seems like a less polished version of the one we see in Lightyear.

It’s Not Too Late for ‘Toy Story 5’ to Feature a Cameo From Chris Evans as Buzz


Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The trailer for Toy Story 5 has given us a glimpse of the plot, but many details remain unknown. Although Allen voiced all the alternate Buzz Lightyear characters, there’s still a possibility that Evans could reprise his role as the original Buzz in some form. Given the significance of the Buzz Lightyear franchise within the Toy Story universe, it makes sense that the live-action Lightyear movie will be acknowledged. It hasn’t been erased from the story, so it remains part of the official timeline, even if it’s presented in a unique way.

The Toy Story Franchise’s Rotten Tomatoes Scores
Movie Year Tomatometer
Toy Story 1995 100%
Toy Story 2 1999 100%
Toy Story 3 2010 98%
Toy Story 4 2019 96%
Lightyear 2022 74%
Toy Story 5 2026 TBC

Given this event within the movie’s world, it’s likely the entire Buzz Lightyear series is being acknowledged, including the recent film with Chris Evans and any future installments. While it might not be a major part of Toy Story 5‘s story, a quick appearance by a Buzz Lightyear toy would be a great touch. It would nicely connect things back to the beginning, answer some long-standing questions, and seem to fit with what’s shaping up to be an interesting side story in the new movie.

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2026-03-19 00:34