Lightyear director Angus MacLane has revealed that Chris Evans was the first and only choice for the role of Buzz. The actor is set to debut in the role in the upcoming Toy Story franchise spinoff film about Buzz Lightyear's origins. It will move away from the concept of Buzz as a toy and instead focus on the astronaut that inspired him. Lightyear is set to debut in theaters next year.
The beloved Buzz Lightyear first debuted in cinemas in 1995 when Toy Story premiered. He has since appeared in a total of four Toy Story movies and has become a staple of the Disney/Pixar lineup of characters. Initially voiced by comedy star Tim Allen, Buzz will soon be handed over to Captain America actor Chris Evans for Lightyear, which will reframe the legendary Space Ranger in a significant way. The movie will explore the beginnings of Buzz Lightyear, with a looser connection to the Toy Story films. MacLane has confirmed that Lightyear is a "standalone" project, and isn't about the toy that Andy would one day receive on his birthday.
Now, with the trailer for Buzz's first solo film officially released, new information has come to light about why Chris Evans was cast in the role. Speaking with Collider, MacLane explained that Evans was the "first and only choice" for the part. He said the production team tried to envision who could play Buzz Lightyear in real life and worked backward from there, and Evans was the "clear" best option. Read his full comments below:
"I wanted the film to have like a gravitas to it and a seriousness to it, but also have an actor who could bring comedy with that seriousness. He was really the first and only choice. I didn’t have a number two. It was very clear from the get-go. It was like, 'If you were gonna make a legitimate sci-fi film about Buzz Lightyear, who would you get? Well, Chris Evans' ... You need someone that has that star power. If it had to be live-action, who would do it? He can do both. Although that chin would be so weird in live-action. You could never get around that. But he was the first choice and he’s been such an amazing partner. He totally got the material right away and felt the sense of responsibility to figure out the translation to the character, for this larger context of this sci-fi movie and really deliver on it. He’s just been a wonderful creative partner in the whole process."
Casting Evans as Buzz Lightyear will mark a notable departure for the character by not bringing back the iconic voice of Tim Allen. However, it’s apparent that the team wanted to do a recast that would still stay true to the character. Given that Lightyear's casting was inspired by considerations of a live-action Buzz, it makes sense that Evans would fit into that equation nicely. Elsewhere in his discussions about the film, MacLane has also noted that the film's depiction of Buzz will be rooted in the character always feeling slightly off in his environment – something every Toy Story movie has addressed.
Ultimately, it's understandable that Evans stood out as the go-to actor for the role of Buzz Lightyear. Given his tenure as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the last decade, Evans has developed a clear knack for portraying the noble and heroic nature of a central hero. However, with his roles in films like Fantastic Four and Knives Out, he has also showcased his ability to bring hotshot cockiness and charisma to a character, all of which feed into the very specific alchemy that makes Buzz Lightyear who he is. Audiences will see how Evans pulls off the iconic Buzz when Lightyear debuts in theaters.
Source: Collider
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