Buzz Lightyear's role in the Toy Story movies makes Lightyear's premise seem illogical. Toy Story is undeniably one of Pixar's biggest hits, as it not only garnered critical and commercial success but also boosted interest in 3D-animated movies and helped refine the VFX technology required to make them. Toy Story's success was also aided by its charismatic cast of characters and the fun dynamic between Woody the Cowboy and Buzz Lightyear of Star Commander, as well as Andy's love for both.
This three-way relationship between Woody, Buzz, and Andy has been at the core of the Toy Story franchise since the beginning, and it has evolved with bittersweet layers once Andy grew up and moved on from his beloved toys. But after Toy Story 4, Lightyear took a step in a completely different direction and followed a flesh-and-bone Buzz who had no connection to Woody, Andy, or even the original Buzz Lightyear. Lightyear's decision to depart from the original characters is an odd one, and it's even more questionable considering that the Buzz that was introduced back in 1995 has plenty of potential stories to explore in a proper Toy Story spinoff.
Buzz's Story Makes Pixar's Lightyear More Confusing
While both Woody and Buzz are Toy Story's heart and soul, Tom Hanks' Woody has always been depicted as the primary protagonist of the franchise. The first Toy Story introduced Buzz Lightyear as Woody's competition, the shiny new toy that captured Andy's attention and distracted him from his true favorite. Toy Story 2 then gave Buzz the task of leading the rest of the toys on a quest to save Woody, but the sequel's emotional core still lay mainly on Woody's journey as he pondered whether to stay with Jesse and his new friends or return home.
Toy Story 3 further put the spotlight on Woody as he faced Lotso while Buzz was stuck in Demo mode and Spanish mode for a large portion of the movie. And then, Toy Story 4 followed Woody as he searched for Forky after it came to life while Buzz was once again tasked with finding Woody, who ultimately decided not to stay with his old friends this time. Woody has always steered the plot, so it would only make sense for a Buzz Lightyear spinoff movie to finally give Buzz a story where he makes the decisions. Lightyear missed this obvious opportunity and instead focused on a brand-new character that only resembled Buzz in name and appearance.
A Proper Buzz Solo Movie Can Still Happen
Fortunately, it's not too late to give the original Buzz Lightyear a solo movie. In this era of Hollywood sequels, prequels, reboots, and spinoffs, it wouldn't be confusing to have a Buzz Lightyear spinoff movie soon after Lightyear's release. Besides, apart from Buzz's tremendous potential as a protagonist, there's already a source of inspiration to draw from. The non-canon Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins and its sequel series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command explore the space-opera adventures of the fictional character that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toys. Although focusing on the version of Buzz that inspired the toy is precisely what Lightyear promised, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command offers a much richer lore that could be retooled within the Toy Story universe.
Woody's departure in Toy Story 4 is also the perfect justification for a Buzz solo adventure. Buzz could go his own way freely and perhaps meet the rest of the action figures in his Star Command toy line, who could be none other than the characters from Buzz's 2D-animated movie and series. Buzz counts on the support of Jesse, Bullseye, Rex, and the rest of the gang, which means he could finally have a Toy Story movie of his own without Woody there to overshadow him. Buzz Lightyear's solo movie could even find the right place to incorporate certain elements from Lightyear, the most obvious being Sox, the human Buzz's loyal cat.