When Pixar dropped the trailer of Lightyear, the fans of Toy Story were delighted to see one of their favourite characters get a spinoff. There were also various changes, one being the introduction of former Captain America, Chris Evans, as the voice of Buzz Lightyear. Although Patricia Heaton wasn’t particularly amused by this change. In the original Toy Story movies, Tim Allen voiced Buzz Lightyear. But in the latest iteration, which focuses strictly on Buzz’s origin story, Chris Evans voices the character. And this has left Patricia Heaton fuming.
Patricia Heaton: ‘Completely Castrating Buzz Lightyear’
Coming out in support of her Everybody Loves Raymond co-star, Tim Allen, Patricia Heaton marked her displeasure with the recasting. She took to social media and said:
“Saw the trailer for Buzz Lightyear and all I can say is Disney/Pixar made a HUGE mistake in not casting my pal Tim Allen in the role that he originated, the role that he owns,” she tweeted Tuesday. “Tim IS Buzz! Why would they completely castrate this iconic, beloved character?”
Saw the trailer for Buzz Lightyear and all I can say is Disney/Pixar made a HUGE mistake in not casting my pal @ofctimallen Tim Allen in the role that he originated, the role that he owns. Tim IS Buzz! Why would they completely castrate this iconic, beloved character?
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) June 14, 2022
Also Read: Fans Are Coming Forward to Support Pixar’s Lightyear After Saudi Arabia Bans Movie for Insane Reason
Same Character, Different Vibes
Chris Evans voices Buzz Lightyear in Pixar’s spin-off film, which technically centres on a different character than the one Allen played in the Toy Story movies: Evans’ Lightyear is the interstellar action hero on whom Allen’s character, a toy version of Buzz, is based.
The director of Lightyear, Angus MacLane, had attributed the decision to the difference in the role of the Buzz portrayed in Toy Story and Lightyear. In an interview with Vanity Fair, MacLane shared, “Tim’s version of Buzz is a little goofier and is a little dumber, and so he is the comic relief. In this film, Buzz is the action hero. He’s serious and ambitious and funny, but not in a goofy way that would undercut the drama.” He added, “Chris Evans has the gravitas and that movie-star quality that our character needed to separate him and the movie from Tim’s version of the toy in Toy Story.”
The rationale behind the recasting was further disclosed by Angus in an interview with EW. He said, “In the Toy Story universe, [Lightyear] would be like a movie that maybe Andy would have seen, that would have made him want a Buzz Lightyear figure.”
Patricia backing Tim ‘to infinity and beyond’
When fans pointed out the distinction to The Middle actress on Twitter, she came down harder on the studio, tweeting that the change was not necessary. She advocated that there was no need to change the reason the character became so beloved. The hashtag ‘stupid Hollywood decisions’ showed how disappointed she was. And a certain section of fans agrees with Patricia’s comments. For them, Tim Allen will always be the voice of Buzz Lightyear.
Tim Allen gives a terrific voice over performance as Buzz LightYear. He will always be the voice of that character. Tim Allen is also not a very good person and neither is his friend Patricia Heaton.
— ZAK (@Zakiyyah6) June 14, 2022
But Chris Evans can bring a new dynamic to the character, and may well take him to ‘infinity and beyond.’ Who knows Lightyear might have its own ‘Avengers Assemble’-esque moment.
Lightyear, which also features the voices of Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, James Brolin, Peter Sohn, and Uzo Aduba, hits theatres Friday.
Watch the trailer here:
