Chris Evans to voice 'original' Buzz Lightyear in new Pixar film landing in 2022

Chris Evans is about to go to infinity and beyond.

The erstwhile Captain America will voice "the original Buzz Lightyear" in a new Pixar film, Lightyear, exploring the origins of the beloved Toy Story character. (Tim Allen had previously voiced Buzz in all four Toy Story entries.) Finding Dory co-director Angus MacLane will helm the film.

During Disney's big investors presentation Thursday, Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter explained that the Toy Story filmmakers had designed Buzz as if he were a toy based on a blockbuster movie. Lightyear, it seems, will be that movie, following a young test pilot who becomes the iconic Space Ranger.

In case you aren't familiar with Buzz's backstory, he's a member of the elite Universe Protection Unit of the Space Ranger corps, protecting the galaxy from the threat of invasion from the Evil Emperor Zurg, sworn enemy of the Galactic Alliance. (That's per the first Toy Story, anyway.)

Evans emphasized Lightyear's new approach to the character in a tweet, writing, "Just to be clear, this isn’t Buzz Lightyear the toy. This is the origin story of the human Buzz Lightyear that the toy is based on."

Also on the way from Pixar is an original film from Domee Shi, director of the Oscar-winning short Bao, called Turning Red. That film will follow a a teenager named Mei, who turns into a giant red panda when she gets too excited.

Turning Red will hit theaters March 11, 2022, with Lightyear following on June 17. In the meantime, Pixar's next film, Soul, will arrive on Disney+ on Christmas Day, with its follow-up, Luca, scheduled for release in June 2021.

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