Where Lightyear Fits In The Toy Story Timeline
For over 25 years, Buzz Lightyear has been an integral part of many people's childhoods. The courageous astronaut of tomorrow was first introduced to kids in the first "Toy Story" film, created by Pixar in 1995. At the time, Buzz was nothing more than a living toy who sincerely believed that he was a real astronaut and not the latest action figure on the market. For many, that was all he would ever be — a toy.
However, that is seemingly changing with "Lightyear," the latest animated adventure from Disney and Pixar. Focused on the origin story of Buzz, the newly released trailer presents the outer space adventurer as something other than the familiar figurine we all know. As such, it begs the question: Where does "Lightyear" fit into the "Toy Story" timeline? After all, the last we saw of Buzz in "Toy Story 4," he was still just a normal toy. How did we get from there, to what seems like a sci-fi story about spacefaring and adventure?
Lightyear isn't a sequel, but its own story altogether
Put simply, "Lightyear" doesn't fall anywhere on the "Toy Story" timeline. Instead, it's an origin story about the Buzz Lightyear character that the toy Buzz is based on. The Buzz we see in this new movie seems to be completely flesh and blood. On top of that, he is voiced by Chris Evans of "Captain America" fame and not Tim Allen like in the "Toy Story" films. Beyond that, however, this seems to be the same Buzz we know in terms of temperament and personality.
This isn't the first time we've seen the "real" Buzz Lightyear in action, either. In 2000, Buzz (this time voiced by Tim Allen) received his own cartoon called "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command," which focused on Buzz's various adventures as a courageous space ranger. Presumably, "Lightyear" will follow a similar premise as it explores Buzz's earliest days going to infinity and beyond.