A shiny new trailer for Pixar’s highly anticipatedLightyeargives us a much more detailed look at the beloved animation studio’s standalone Buzz Lightyear adventure. Released courtesy ofPixar’s official YouTube channel, the trailer offers a whole host of new footage, introducing Buzz’s adorable robotic-feline sidekick, a surprisingly terrifying Emperor Zurg, and offering much more ofChris Evans’performance as the titular Space Ranger.
This latest footage gives us a much better idea of what to expect fromLightyear, which finds Buzz (the real-life version rather than the familiar toy) marooned on an alien planet and attempting to get himself and the rest of his crew back to Earth. Their only hope is wrapped up in the results of an experimental test flight, which will send Buzz on his greatest adventure into the unknown.
As well as a much-needed insight into the movie’s plot, the footage also puts the spotlight on some of the supporting cast, including Peter Sohn as Sox. A robotic cat, Sox will clearly be providing much of the comic relief throughoutLightyear, as he tries to put a smile on Lightyear’s face and offer him assistance. Even more exciting than a robot cat, though, is the reveal of a redesigned Emperor Zurg, whose now hugely intimidating visage is shown in the shadows, aiming his destructive arm cannon at our hero.
Introduced inToy Story 2, Zurg begins as something of a villain, before being played for laughs as he reveals to Buzz Lightyear (the toy this time) that he is, in fact, his father. A hilarious homage toStar Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, it seems that the real-world version of Zurg will instead lean far more into the more frightening and intimidating elements of Darth Vader.
Chris Evans Takes Over as the Voice of Buzz Lightyear from Tim Allen
With Lightyear introducing audiences to the real-life version of Buzz Lightyear, a new voice was needed to bring him to life. Step forward Chris Evans, the star ofCaptain America: The First AvengerandAvengers: Endgame, who, based on this latest footage, will be bringing the same air of innate heroism and courage that made Marvel’s Steve Rogers such a staple of theMCU.
Joining Chris Evans are Keke Palmer, Dale Soules, andTaika Waititias a group of ambitious recruits, with Peter Sohn voicing Buzz’s robot companion, Sox. The rest of the cast includes the voices of Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez and Isiah Whitlock Jr. “The cast for ‘Lightyear’ is truly a dream team,” said MacLane. “Each of the performers immediately inhabited their character, which gave us the opportunity to play a bit during recording sessions. This resulted in a level of specificity that elevated the material and brought additional depth to the characters’ relationships. It has been a privilege to work with such a talented and generous cast.”
Lightyearwill tell the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the toy, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on August 14, 2025.
