Izzy first appears in a hologram depicting her late grandmother Alisha who is leaving a message for Buzz just as Izzy is excited to be a Space Ranger like Buzz. However, due to the time dilation, Alisha emotionally bids her final moments with her granddaughter before she passes away from old age just before the hologram turns off. To recap: Taika Waititi’s Mo is someone who will not quit to find a use for his suit’s pen, and Keke Palmer’s Izzy has the ability to use history and inspiration to get her team on board. Which makes the question of what heroism Dale Soules’ Darby Steel brings to Lightyear even more exciting. If her character’s name wasn’t enough of an indication, Soules herself sums it up rather neatly: Chris Evans was announced as the voice of the human Buzz Lightyear along with the project's announcement in December 2020. [4] Evans was the first and only choice MacLane had for Buzz; [21] MacLane defended the recasting as "Tim's version of Buzz [Lightyear] is a little goofier and is a little dumber, and so he is the comic relief. In this film, Buzz is the action hero. He's serious and ambitious and funny, but not in a goofy way that would undercut the drama [...] Chris Evans has the gravitas and that movie-star quality that our character needed to separate him and the movie from Tim's version of the toy in Toy Story." [22]

Izzy is Alisha's super motivated granddaughter eighty-nine years later in the future who leads the Junior Zap Patrol, a volunteer team of self-motivated cadets training to become protectors of the nascent society that has taken shape on the planet. Izzy dreams of becoming a Space Ranger like her grandmother, but that is easier said than done due to her fear of Space (which she eventually overcame). Milligan, Mercedes (April 27, 2022). "CinemaCon: Disney Details Pixar, 20th, Marvel Slate, 'Avatar' Sequel". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022 . Retrieved April 30, 2022. a b Venable, Heidi (April 28, 2022). "People Have Seen The First 30 Minutes Of Disney's Lightyear, Here's What They're Saying". CINEMABLEND. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022 . Retrieved June 15, 2022. a b c " 'Lightyear' Director Angus MacLane on Making the Action Sci-Fi Movie That Buzz Lightyear Is Based On". Collider. October 27, 2021. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021 . Retrieved November 9, 2021. Buzz has tons of respect for Alisha—but he also doesn’t have a lot of time for the upstarts who dream of being a Space Ranger like him. While that might seem like arrogance, it’s more that Buzz is a perfectionist at heart... for everyone, including himself. When a clutch decision leads to a mission-disabling crash landing, stranding a spaceship full of intergalactic explorers on an uncharted and inhospitable planet, Buzz is determined to make things right—regardless of the cost.Mo is ready to play a key role on Buzz's team. In this look from the middle of the movie, he's ready to face any foe with his spear shooter and removable helmet.

In 1995, a boy named Andy got a Buzz Lightyear toy for his birthday. It was from his favorite movie. This is that movie." The statement that opens the film, clarifying Lightyear to be a film within a film of the Toy Story franchise. a b Desowitz, Bill (June 17, 2022). "How 'Lightyear' Took Pixar Into the Uncharted Space of IMAX". IndieWire . Retrieved June 25, 2023. MacLane, who was one of the artists who worked on Zurg’s design in Toy Story 2, was thrilled to further explore the character. “Of course, Zurg’s the villain,” says MacLane. “We’ve known for a long time that he’s Buzz’s nemesis. But we never really knew why.”Create dynamic action poses with 24 articulated joints, including the double hinged knees and elbows which provide incredible range of motion. Gleiberman, Owen (June 13, 2022). " 'Lightyear' Review: Buzz Lightyear Gets His Own Adventure. It's Diverting Enough, But Doesn't Give You a Buzz". Variety. Archived from the original on June 15, 2022 . Retrieved June 15, 2022. Har-Even, Benny (March 29, 2022). "Lightyear In IMAX Will Feature 1.43:1 Aspect Ratio Scenes". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022 . Retrieved March 29, 2022.