‘Lightyear’ Director Clarifies How The Film Fits Within The ‘Toy Story’ Canon

Here's how it *really* inspired the toy.

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The director of Lightyear clarified how the film fits within the Toy Story canon.

When Lightyear was first announced, it was revealed that it would be the in-universe origin story of Buzz, the Space Ranger that Toy Story‘s beloved action figure was based on. One would think that would mean that any toys released for the upcoming film would be similar to the traditional action figures we’ve received of the character over the years. Well, that’s where things may get a bit more complicated than you’d expect.

With tie-in merchandise for Lightyear on the way, some were caught by surprise to see that the official action figure for Buzz was in fact a recreation of how the film’s version looks like, rather than the toy we see in Toy Story:

What prompts this confusion amongst some Toy Story fans is because it was previously stated that the upcoming film was an in-universe origin for the Buzz Lightyear that the toy was based on, meaning that the action figure Andy owned was tying into that film. Well, there may be another explanation for that.

In the early 2000’s, there was a Saturday Morning cartoon titled Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, which was a series that also existed within the Toy Story world. Interestingly enough, according to a clarification made by the upcoming film’s director Angus MacLane, the movie inspired the creation of the animated series, and the toy that we know from the four films was based off of the cartoon rather than the movie.

Angus MacLane clarified this on Twitter, to clear up any confusion regarding Lightyear and Toy Story:

Here is the synopsis for Lightyear:

The definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the toy, “Lightyear” follows the legendary Space Ranger after he’s marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth alongside his commander and their crew. As Buzz tries to find a way back home through space and time, he’s joined by a group of ambitious recruits and his charming robot companion cat, Sox. Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg, an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda.

Directed by Angus MacLane, the film features the voice talents of Chris Evans, Uzo Aduba, Peter Sohn, Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Efren Ramirez, and Keira Hairston.

Lightyear blasts off into theaters on June 17, 2022. Stay tuned for all the latest news on the upcoming Toy Story spinoff, and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.

Source: Twitter

Noah Villaverde

Noah Villaverde

Cinema lover. Saxophone player. Coffee consumer. Chronic complainer. Oh, I also write. #TeamHeroic