There’s a new Buzz Lightyear in town. Some on social media suspect that political leanings might be the reason that Tim Allen is out — others, though, says the reason for the switch is rather obvious and has nothing to do with politics.
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On Oct. 27, Disney announced that Chris Evans is taking over the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the «Toy Story» prequel «Lightyear.»
In the trailer, Chris’s voice can be heard at the very end — and it does seem to resemble Tim’s iconic Buzz voice. The reason for the change could certainly be based on age: Chris, 40, is younger than the «Home Improvement» star, who is 68. Considering «Lightyear» features a more youthful Buzz, the voice would likely sound younger but similar. There’s also this matter, which seems to get to the heart of the issue: the Buzz Lightyear toy in «Toy Story» is based off of Chris’s astronaut character. Get it?
«When we created the very first ‘Toy Story,’ we designed Buzz Lightyear with the idea that he was a toy based on some very cool character from an epic blockbuster film,» a Pixar executive said last December.
However, while many on social media are celebrating the Marvel star’s gig, some on the opposite side of the spectrum suspect that Tim’s unapologetic conservative politics are the reason he got the ax.
«Is their an ‘official’ reason no tim allen? Or..just ‘conservative man bad’?» one person tweeted.
Another noted, «Tim Allen will always be Buzz Lightyear. I don’t like how he is being ousted from his iconic role due to his politics. Like he got the role after being arrested for selling cocaine and THIS is what gets him booted?»
One person gave the debate some perspective, claiming the comedian wouldn’t have been cast in 2019’s «Toy Story 4» if his politics were an issue.