Here's everything we know about Pixar's Lightyear, including the animated movie's cast, story, and release date. Pixar remains the biggest animated studio in Hollywood nearly thirty years after it was founded. The studio's success with Toy Story's release in 1995 made computer 3D animation the new standard in the industry, and also established Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of Andy's toys as iconic movie characters.

Even as Pixar found more success with original, creative ideas, the Toy Story franchise remained a key component of their plan. Toy Story 2 was released four years after the original and the franchise appeared to end in 2010 with Toy Story 3. Nearly a decade later, Pixar brought the characters back together for another adventure. Toy Story 4 edged out its predecessor to become the highest-grossing entry in the franchise. With Toy Story 4's perfect and emotional ending, fans once again were led to believe that Pixar's reliance on the popular franchise was over.

Related: Why Pixar Can't Let Toy Story Die

Instead of announcing Toy Story 5, Pixar has decided to utilize the Toy Story brand in a surprising way for an upcoming project. They announced Lightyear in late 2020 - but it isn't a Buzz Lightyear solo film. Instead, the movie will tell the story of the in-universe astronaut who inspired the popular toy line. Here's everything we know about Lightyear so far.

Chris Evans Stars As Buzz Lightyear

chris evans pixas lightyear

The announcement of Lightyear came with the casting of Chris Evans as the lead voice. Best known now for his role as Steve Rogers aka Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this marks the first collaboration between Evans and Pixar. His history of playing a boy scout type hero and his general popularity could've contributed to him landing the role. Evans is so far the only cast member attached to Lightyear.

Lightyear's Story & Toy Story Connection

Woody Toy story Lightyear

Evans' portrayal of Buzz Lightyear will not include being the voice of the toy line that Tim Allen helped make famous. Lightyear has been described as the story of a young test pilot who becomes the beloved Space Ranger who goes to infinity and beyond. This makes Evans' Lightyear the "real" version of the character who serves as the inspiration for the toys in the Pixar universe (voiced by Allen). While this means Lightyear won't be directly connected to the Toy Story franchise's plot, there could be some in-universe references made to tie them together.

Lightyear's Release Date

Buzz Lightyear posing in Toy Story

Pixar o fficially gave Lightyear a summer 2022 release date. The movie is currently slated to debut exclusively in theaters on June 17, 2022. The film is directed by Angus MacLane, who directed some Toy Story shorts in the past and co-directed Finding Dory. Pixar has had great success with summer releases in recent years, so expectations for Lightyear's box office performance will be high.

MORE: Every Pixar Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

Key Release Dates