Pixar’s Lightyear has the perfect opportunity for crossover characters from the Toy Story films, aside from Buzz and Zurg, who are expected to appear. Although it exists within the Toy Story universe, Lightyear isn’t about the action figure from Pixar’s iconic franchise. Instead, Lightyear is a Toy Story spin-off about the test pilot turned Space Ranger who served as inspiration for the Buzz Lightyear toy. While taking the Toy Story franchise in a new sci-fi direction, Lightyear will likely also answer questions about how the Space Ranger’s actions led to the creation of an action figure.

When Toy Story was released in 1995, it was Pixar’s first feature film and the first feature-length CGI film ever released. The film imagined a world in which toys come to life when humans are not around and focused on the rivalry between the two favorite possessions of a young boy named Andy: an old-fashioned cowboy doll named Woody (Tom Hanks) and the cutting-edge action figure of astronaut Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). Along with being the second-highest-grossing film of 1995 and holding an impressive 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Toy Story forever changed the world of animation and led to three direct sequels. The last installment was Toy Story 4 in 2019, which won Best Animated Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards, making it the first franchise to win the award more than once. Toy Story 3 received the same accolade in 2010, and the only reason the first two Toy Story films did not also win Best Animated Feature was the fact that the category had not yet been created.

Related: Lightyear Trailer Teases The Origins Of The Evil Emperor Zurg

Lightyear will be Pixar’s first spin-off film and is only the second prequel film from the production company after Monsters University. Although Tim Allen provided the voice for the toy version of Buzz Lightyear, Chris Evans will be the voice of the human counterpart. There was initially some speculation that the actor’s politics were the reason behind the recasting, but Disney+ announcing a Santa Clause series starring Allen disproves this. Instead, the change is likely intended to create a distinction between the toy character and the human one he was based on. The shift away from the toy characters also means it will be extremely tricky to include Toy Story crossover characters other than Buzz and his nemesis Zurg, with one notable exception.

Lightyear-Zurg-Robots

The green aliens found in a claw vending machine at Pizza Planet may be the only characters from Toy Story able to crossover into Lightyear. The lime-skinned alien toys have three eyes, three-fingered hands, and an antenna on top of their oddly shaped heads, along with a uniform with the pizza restaurant’s logo on the chest. While there is no obvious link between the promotional squeeze toy aliens and the human Buzz Lightyear in the upcoming Pixar film, the space setting and sci-fi tone of the narrative could provide a logical reason for their inclusion. There is also a precedent for the addition of the alien characters in Buzz narratives after they made an appearance in ABC’s short-lived spin-off animated television series, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.

Much like Buzz in the upcoming Lightyear, the aliens in Buzz Lightyear of Star Command aren’t depicted as toys. Instead, they are an actual alien race, some of which work as scientists alongside Buzz at Star Command. If this is carried over into Lightyear, it is possible that the Space Ranger could encounter the Little Green Men alien race that inspired the squeeze toys.

The inclusion of other Toy Story characters seems unlikely, though they could appear as toys for the type of Easter Egg connections Pixar often includes in its films. It is possible that Woody and some of the older toys could find their way into the story, perhaps in the background of shots. If the Pizza Planet restaurant plays any part in the narrative, the promotional alien toys could also make this type of appearance in Lightyear.

Next: Lightyear Movie Timeline: How Long Before Toy Story Is It Set?

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