Lightyear producer explains why Tim Allen isn't voicing Buzz: "This isn't the toy world"

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Here's why Tim Allen isn't back for Lightyear

Pixar's Lightyear
(Image credit: Disney/Pixar)

Lightyear, the Toy Story spin-off all about Space Ranger Buzz, doesn't feature Tim Allen returning to his iconic role – and producer Galyn Susman has explained why. 

While Allen voiced the character in all four Toy Story films, this time around, he just wasn't the right fit. Instead, the former Captain America Chris Evans is stepping into the spaceman's shoes. 

"Tim really is the embodiment of the toy Buzz, and this isn’t the toy world, so it really doesn't make sense," Susman told The Hollywood Reporter. "There's not really a role. It would just cause more confusion for audiences instead of helping them understand the movie we're trying to tell."

Director Angus MacLane also addressed the change. "Buzz was a side character in Toy Story and was a little goofier and a little more of a comedic relief," he said. "For Buzz to be a main character he needed a little more gravitas, a little more vulnerability, needed to be funny but not in a goofy way that would undercut the drama. Chris embodied all of those things."

Lightyear sees the titular Space Ranger stranded on a hostile alien planet, where he must work with some new recruits and his adorable robot cat Sox to try and find a way back home – though the mysterious presence of Zurg might throw a spanner in the works. 

Molly Edwards
Molly Edwards
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.