1
Credit: ITMThis week has been a productive week in terms of major announcements from Disney, namely three new sequels in the works from Walt Disney Animation. Frozen, Zootopia, and Toy Story are all slated to get additional films in the near future. While some might consider a fifth Toy Story movie excessive, there’s one member of the cast who is undoubtedly excited to be reprising his role after a long absence.
See ya soon Woody, you are a sad strange little man and you have my pity. And off we go to a number 5! To infinity and beyond! pic.twitter.com/bwRzE487Vi
— Tim Allen (@ofctimallen) February 9, 2023
As seen in the tweet above, Tim Allen is certainly looking forward to reprising his role as Pixar’s resident Space Ranger, Buzz Lightyear. This is undoubtedly a big moment for Allen as he steps back into the plastic boots of the character after briefly lending the reins to Chris Evans in 2022’s Lightyear. Now that the announcement has officially been made, the only question is what lies in store for Buzz. His return couldn’t have come at a better time, as Buzz’s recent cinematic escapades haven’t exactly been falling with style.
The last time Disney fans saw Buzz, he was leading a different brand of Space Rangers on a new adventure to escape a hostile planet and an army of evil robots. However, this wasn’t exactly the character most fans around Andy’s age grew up with.
Lightyear, while ambitious and unique, didn’t come without a fair share of backlash and controversy. Many viewers labeled the film as “woke” and several called Tim Allen’s removal a detriment to the project altogether. Even his co-star and voice of Woody, Tom Hanks, weighed in on the matter. It’s well within the possibility that Toy Story 5 could serve as Buzz Lightyear’s redemption arc. As interesting and fresh as Evans’ portrayal was, we’d certainly like to see a return to his original character.
Related: Disney Turning to ‘Toy Story 5’ After Latest Pixar Failures
Although there’s an argument to be made that a fifth Toy Story movie is somewhat unnecessary, even the fourth one was a bit redundant to some fans. However, it could be a way to give Buzz a better starring role than he was previously offered. If the writing and direction is handled correctly, a Buzz-centric sequel could be what the Pixar brand needs to bring some of it’s fans back into their good graces. Granted, it’s going to take some creative gymnastics to really sell the idea, but if the original creators are brought back to the forefront, it might be Pixar’s chance to fly to infinity and beyond.
Inside the Magic will continue to share updates on Toy Story 5 as the project develops. Until then, tell us what you think in the comments below!