Chris Evans talks about 'Buzz Lightyear'
by Ana Walia | Thu, 09 Jun 2022 21:38:22 GMT
Chris Evans at the world premiere of 'Lightyear' at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Image Source: THR

After four successful Toy Story films, the audience is ready to witness a new version of Buzz Lightyear in Pixar’s new film, "Lightyear," which is being voiced by none other than Chris Evans. Buzz Lightyear was previously voiced by Tim Allen, but now Chris Evans is all set to take the reigns. 

In the new film, Chris Evans' Buzz Lightyear is a space ranger on a cosmic journey, leading a band of recruits in a battle against invaders. The actor, who is best known for playing Captain America/Steve Rogers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, may draw parallels between the two characters.

Chris Evans told The Hollywood Reporter at the world premiere of "Lightyear" at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, that the characters share a lot of similarities in terms of their sense of responsibility and leadership, but that they are different men, and that people can make useful things while leaving the things that make Cap, Cap. During the interview, Chris Evans stated that he had never met or spoken with Tim Allen, but that they did share one thing in common: they were born on the same day. Chris also told Entertainment Tonight that delivering Buzz Lightyear's classic phrase, "to infinity and beyond," was nerve-wracking for him. He noted that he was worried since the statement had already been spoken by someone else (Tim Allen), so he had huge shoes to fill. He wanted to put his own spin on it while still paying attention to what the audience knows and loves about the character.

Angus MacLane, a Pixar animator, and director, revealed that it was his idea to discover a new side of the beloved hero, and Buzz was not a protagonist in the Toy Story films but he has always been drawn to him. He had a lot of thoughts about his world, the world of Space Rangers and Star Command, so he went on to develop the story around it. Angus revealed why they opted to bring in a new voice for Buzz in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, saying that Buzz was a side character in Toy Story and was goofier and more comedic relief, but he is the primary character in "Lightyear."

View this post on Instagram

Buzz required a little more gravity, a little more vulnerability, and a desire to be hilarious but not in a ridiculous way that would undermine the drama, according to the director, and Chris Evans epitomized all of those qualities. Producer Galyn Susman explained that Tim Allen is the embodiment of the toy Buzz, and this isn't the toy world, so bringing him back in some capacity didn't make sense because they didn't have a role for him and that it would only add to the audience's confusion rather than help them understand the film they were trying to tell. Angus said that if they had brought Tim Allen in some capacity, it would have tied the movie too closely with the Toy Story films when they aimed for Lightyear to be its own stand-alone story.

An LGBTQ narrative involving Uzo Aduba's character, a close friend of Buzz's and a fellow space ranger, is one of the most striking aspects of this new story. According to Angus MacLane, representation is very important to them since it reflects the reality around them, thus they were thrilled to include it in the film. When asked about Uzo Aduba's plot, the director replied that he thinks it's groundbreaking and that he's delighted to see a studio like Disney Pixar widening the door to incorporate all voices, faces, and stories in their storytelling. He went on to say that he believes it's fantastic that so many youngsters can gaze up at that screen and see the globe.

The film also has a strong black female character, played by Keke Palmer, who spends much of the film opposite Buzz. She stated that it is just about bringing all of these things that have been going on for a long time into normalcy. She went on to say that the entire crew is simply delighted to be displaying the world as it is and has always been. It's a lovely thing.

Lightyear premiere in theaters on Friday, June 17.

RELATED ARTICLES