Disney and Pixar's Lightyear teaser trailer gives a first look at Chris Evans' Buzz Lightyear origin story and continues a running Avengers gag. First announced at Disney's 2020 Investor Day, Lightyear tells the story of the actual Space Ranger on which Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear is based. At Disney's Investor Day, Pixar's Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter called Lightyear the "definitive origin story of the original Buzz Lightyear," announcing that the movie would explain how Buzz went from a test pilot to the Space Ranger fans know and love. Docter also announced that Chris Evans would voice the new version of Buzz Lightyear and Pixar's Angus MacLane would direct.
Of course, Evans isn't new to playing heroes. The actor first starred as Steve Rogers in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger, going on to portray Cap in several Marvel and Disney films over the first decade of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Chris Evans' Captain America saved the world several times over as a leader of the Avengers. His story ultimately culminated in 2019's Avengers: Endgame, with Rogers passing on his shield to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) after returning the Infinity Stones to their proper timelines and choosing to live out his days in the past with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell).
The Lightyear teaser trailer introduces Evans' new character and continues one of the actor's running gags. Of course, in the Toy Story movies, Buzz Lightyear is known for saying, "To Infinity and Beyond," and the trailer fittingly teases the line. As the trailer ends, Lightyear's colleague says, "To Infinity." Chris Evans' Buzz Lightyear then responds, "And," before the scene cuts off. The moment is reminiscent of the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron. As the film comes to a close, Evans' Captain America looks out at the team of Avengers, consisting of Anthony Mackie's Falcon, Paul Bettany's Vision, Don Cheadle's War Machine, and Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch. "Avengers," he says, getting cut off before he can add, "Assemble."
There's an important reason Evans' catchphrases get cut short. Firstly, the catchphrases "To Infinity and Beyond" and "Avengers, assemble" are already incredibly popular. They're iconic enough that the movies need to include them, but they should use them sparingly to avoid losing their impact. However, teasing an iconic line keeps fans wanting to see where it comes next and how exactly it shows up. In the case of Avengers 2, Captain America didn't say the whole phrase until Avengers: Endgame. For Lightyear, it's still unknown how Evans will use Buzz Lightyear's go-to line.
In addition to saving the phrases from overuse, the moment nods to Evans' days as Captain America. Disney and Pixar are pros when it comes to Easter eggs, constantly hiding references and jokes throughout their movies and shows. So it makes sense that the studios would include a reference to Evans' Captain America. However, the catchphrase moment is subtle enough that it doesn't distract from what's going on in Lightyear, which has nothing to do with Captain America or Avengers. Instead, it's all about taking Buzz Lightyear's story to infinity and beyond.