Chris Evans is set to bring his voice (and, judging by this first-look picture, his jawline) to Pixar’s upcoming Toy Story prequel and Buzz Lightyear origin story, Lightyear. “Back when we created the very first Toy Story, we designed Buzz Lightyear with the idea that he was a toy based on some really cool character from an epic blockbuster film. Well, all these years later, we decided it’s time to make that film,†Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter explained at Disney’s Investor Day. Angus MacLane, co-director of Finding Dory, is set to direct Lightyear, which has a June 17, 2022, release date. It’s unclear if Lightyear will contradict the canon of the other Buzz Lightyear spinoff, the 2000 direct-to-video classic, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins. And in case you were confused by Lightyear’s premise, Evans took to Twitter to clarify that “this isn’t Buzz Lightyear the toy. This is the origin story of the human Buzz Lightyear that the toy is based on,†in a tweet that had a real “Actually, Frankenstein was the name of the scientist†energy to it.
In other Pixar spin-off news, Up will get its own series on Disney+ in fall 2021, titled Dug Days and featuring Bob Peterson. Also on Disney+, Cars will get a spin-off TV show, Win or Lose, premiering in fall 2023. Original Pixar projects announced at Investor Day include Turning Red, a coming-of-age feature film from Domee Shi, director of the Oscar-winning short Bao, as well as Luca, directed by Enrico Casarosa, who previously directed the short La Luna. Turning Red will follow a young girl named Mei who has the ability to turn into a giant red panda, and Luca centers around a young boy’s “unforgettable summer on the Italian Riviera.†Luca is set for release on June 18, 2021, and Turning Red is set for March 11, 2022.