Will Disney fans finally get to see what Buzz Lightyear would look like in a cable-knit sweater?
During its Investor Day 2020 on Thursday, Dec. 10, Disney announced that Chris Evans will voice the beloved Space Ranger in an upcoming Pixar movie called Lightyear. The film will take a look at Buzz Lightyear's origin story and is slated to hit theaters on June 17, 2022.
Evans, who has a longstanding relationship with Disney after playing Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, took to Twitter to celebrate the news.
"I don't even have the words," he wrote, retweeting Pixar's teaser footage that appears to show a brief intergalactic voyage before featuring the film's title. There's no hint yet about whether Woody or any of Buzz's other friends will be popping up.
Evans also shared a lengthy post to Instagram, writing that he "didn't stop smiling through the ENTIRE pitch. Ear to ear." He added that he was initially skeptical about taking on the role that was originated by Tim Allen, as "no one could ever touch his performance," but that Evans learned he would be voicing a "different" character.
The Fantastic Four star also posted a follow-up tweet to clarify that he isn't actually replacing Allen but is voicing the inspiration for the toy that the Home Improvement alum would later embody. "And just to be clear, this isn't Buzz Lightyear the toy," Evans wrote. "This is the origin story of the human Buzz Lightyear that the toy is based on."
The 39-year-old Knives Out star has maintained a packed schedule after hanging up the Captain America shield following 2019's Avengers: Endgame. It was also announced on Thursday that he will have a role in director Adam McKay's Don't Look Up, Netflix's satirical disaster film that is currently in production and counts Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence among its star-studded cast.
Earlier this year, Evans starred in the Apple TV+ crime series Defending Jacob. He has previously dabbled in voice acting, which includes his role as Casey Jones in the 2007 animated film TMNT.