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Credit: ITMTim Allen has already had to move over once to let Chris Evans play Buzz Lightyear in his self-titled movie, but he’s about to make even more room in the Buzz Club…and for Woody (Tom Hanks), of all people.
The incomparable Tom Hanks, known to children everywhere as a loveable cowboy doll who has his role usurped by an upstart spaceman toy, may, be poised to play the upstart spaceman toy that started it all.
Related: Tom Hanks to Play “Substantial” MCU Villain, Report Says
Back in the 1960s, when the thrill of the Space Race gripped the US, and fear of the Cold War, the idea of the cowboy as the platonic ideal of an American hero was fading away, and in its place stood the astronaut, the spaceman.
The name of this spaceman, created by Mattel, the same company to give us the icon that is Barbie, was Major Matt Mason, who lived on the moon. He was largely forgotten in the public consciousness by the mid-1970s and remains so today – with one notable exception.
When Pixar created Toy Story, a story about a cowboy doll with his favored role usurped by a space toy, the choice to look to Major Matt Mason for inspiration was clear – and thus Buzz Lightyear was born.
Related: ‘Toy Story 5’ Plot Could Save the Series
Now, as Mattel looks to expand into a Cinematic Universe of its own, writers and directors are rifling through the toy box company’s company’s vast IP, and Akiva Goldsman of The Da Vinci Code and The Crowded Room has pulled out Major Matt Mason and run right to Tom Hanks and ParamountIt’sh him.
(It’s not as though Hanks has no experience playing astronauts – he may have been a cowboy in Toy Story, but he also starred in Apollo 13 before that.)
The project was confirmed way back in 2019, only shortly after new Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz took over with a vision of transforming them from a toy company to a franchise-management company. It adds to a list of hopeful Mattel Cinematic Universe originals, including the J.J. Abrams Hot Wheels movie, an Uno Movie, an American Girl film, and a Barney movie to be directed by Daniel Kaluuya.
The company is looking to avoid the missteps made by other toy companies by spreading its cinematic universe across multiple studios and directors rather than just making a contract with one. They are committed to making sure that the tenor of each film matches the vibe of the brand or product, which may make a difference for them in the end when it comes to this plan.
Related: Pixar CEO Explains Why Buzz Lightyear Film Tanked at Box Office
The Major Matt Mason movie has received no significant updates thus far. Still, we know it will be based on a short story about the doll initially written by novelist and screenwriter Michael Chabon. Will it be about the plight of a forgotten doll, similar to how Barbie appears to be about a misunderstood one?
Only time will tell, but one fact remains: It is hilarious to the point of irony that Tom Hanks, of all people, is poised to play the very doll that Buzz Lightyear was based on. We can’t wait to hear what Tim Allen says about this one.
Do you remember anything about Major Matt Mason? Do you think this movie will help the Mattel Cinematic Universe take off? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below.