Disney and Pixar released the first trailer for Lightyear, starring Chris Evans as the "real" Space Ranger who inspired Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear action figure in the film universe. While it's relatively simple on paper, however, some people are still confused by the concept.
On Twitter, fans are questioning not only the meta nature of the movie but also why it's Evans voicing the eponymous Space Ranger and not Tim Allen, who played Buzz across all four core Toy Story films (ironically, Toy Story focused on convincing Buzz Lightyear that he wasn't the person Lightyear is about). Some are chalking it up to Allen's politics, but the more likely scenario -- as others have pointed out -- is that the film simply isn't about the Buzz Lightyear fans are familiar with.
As the new synopsis from Disney and Pixar explains, Lightyear "presents the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear—the hero who inspired the toy—introducing the legendary Space Ranger who would win generations of fans." Director Angus MacLane also discussed the film's metatextual approach, saying, "Buzz, as a character, I’ve always been pretty close to as a fan -- mostly because of his overlap into the sci-fi genre. I’ve always wanted to know about Buzz. I said, 'Maybe there was a movie starring Buzz Lightyear, and that’s what Andy saw that made him want a Buzz Lightyear action figure. Why don’t we just make that movie --and make it awesome?'"
Lightyear was announced in December 2020 during the Disney Investor Day presentation. The first trailer featured extremely little dialogue, but it did offer fans an idea of what they can expect from the project, which has been kept pretty well under wraps in the months since it was revealed.  "The phrase ‘a dream come true’ gets thrown around a lot, but I’ve never meant it more in my life," Evans said. "Anyone who knows me knows that my love for animated films runs deep. I can’t believe that I get to be a part of the Pixar family and work with these truly brilliant artists who tell stories unlike anyone else. Watching them work is nothing short of magic. I pinch myself every day."
Lightyear arrives in theaters June 17, 2022.
Source: Twitter