![]() ![]() ![]() As they are written, Buzz Lightyear the toy action figure, and Buzz Lightyear the human Space Ranger are two completely different characters and occupy vastly different kinds of stories, both in tone and scale. Buzz, as portrayed by Tim Allen, would not have worked in the kind of story Lightyear is trying to tell with the character. My argument is that such a disconnect was not only inevitable, but necessary in allowing the film to build its own identity and interpretation of the Buzz character separate from the Toy Story universe. When it came to Lightyear, however, Chris Evans playing the Space Ranger in Allen’s stead gave the film, to many die-hard fans and critics, an unnecessary disconnect and diversion from the original character recognized the world over only for the sake of casting a big-name celebrity for market appeal. RELATED: ‘Lightyear’ Review: Buzz’s Solid Origin Story Has Pixar “Falling With Style” For a character with as many appearances in theme parks, spin-offs, and other ancillary material as Buzz, a precedent has long been established that someone else could play the character in Allen’s absence, the most famous example being Patrick Warburton in the animated spin-off series, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. While many have speculated Allen’s exclusion was over everything from financial frugality to political disagreements, it is far from the first time that Allen did not voice the role. In the original Toy Story and each of its three sequels, Allen’s performance took Buzz “to infinity and beyond” as he was able to capture every dimension and grand star-gazed delusion of the character with great passion and comedic timing, grounding the high-tech action figure with out-of-this-world machismo to an emotionally earnest place, especially opposite Tom Hanks’ blend of soft-spoken heart and manic egotism as Woody.Įver since the initial announcement of MCU-staple Chris Evans taking on the role of the beloved Space Ranger in Pixar’s 2022 origin story, Lightyear, fans have been outraged and confused that such an iconic role would be passed over to someone else, with no involvement from Allen whatsoever. ![]() ![]() When it comes to Pixar characters, not a lot are as iconic as Buzz Lightyear, thanks in no small part to his voice being provided by Tim Allen. ![]()
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