Chris Evans is trading in his Captain America shield for a space suit as he steps in as the new voice of Buzz Lightyear in the recently-announced Lightyear, set to hit theaters in the summer of 2022.
The Pixar movie, recently revealed by chief creative officer Peter Docter, will be a prequel providing the origin story for Buzz, who has, until now, been voiced by actor and comedian Tim Allen.
Docter, in a video shared by Evans on his Twitter page, said that the movie is not a Toy Story film. “Back when we created the very first Toy Story, we designed Buzz Lightyear with the idea that he was a toy based on some really cool character from an epic blockbuster film,” adding that Lightyear will tell audiences about how a “young test pilot became the space ranger we all know him to be today.”
Docter says Pixar is excited to work with Evans, who will bring a “new twist to this iconic character.”
Angus MacLane, co-director of Finding Dory, will direct Lightyear.