The great Tim Allen debate ignites ahead of ‘Lightyear’ release

Sometimes, an actor embodies a character so perfectly that fans find it difficult to see the role handed to someone else. When many think of Buzz Lightyear, Tim Allen and his iconic line “To infinity and beyond…” often come to mind, but with Pixar’s latest depiction of the character now in the hands (and voice) of Chris Evans, some fans are finding it hard to let go ahead of Lightyear’s release.

While the clamors for Allen to be given the offer to play Buzz once again fell on deaf ears a long time ago, a tweet by Allen’s longtime friend (and Everybody Loves Raymond star) Patricia Heaton seems to have added more fuel to the ongoing debate.

Heaton insisted that the part should have gone to Allen for a fifth time, and that Disney had made a “HUGE mistake” by not casting him. She went on to write that “Tim IS Buzz”, and that the company had castrated the character by giving it to someone else to play.

Some other tweets are also in favor of Allen being overlooked to play the character he brought to life many years ago.

While Allen has become almost synonymous with the Space Ranger, some fans have rushed to Evans’ defense, claiming that the two Lightyears are not the same, as Allen voiced a toy based on a character in a film, and Evans will voice the original character that inspired the toy.

While some have brought up Allen’s political conservatism as a reason for not being selected for the role, others have counted the claim by adding that the actor will still play Santa Claus in a limited series for Disney Plus come Christmas season.

While Allen and Evans are indeed playing two versions of the same character, the latter’s portrayal has not even been by the general public yet, so judging is a little unfair, especially taking into consideration that Evans was the first and only choice of director Angus MacLane. 

Lightyear will be released widely on June 17, and joining Evans in the cast are Keke Palmer, Uzo Aduba, Taika Waititi, Peter Sohn, and Josh Brolin, with the film so far receiving favorable reviews from critics.