The Captain America Connection You Missed In The First Trailer For Lightyear
While Pixar has released many highly acclaimed and remarkably successful films, few of its franchises have had the same kind of lasting appeal as the "Toy Story" movie. The original "Toy Story" was Pixar's first feature-length film, as well as the first feature-length, 3D computer-animated movie ever made (via Time). The franchise as a whole has also been incredibly successful, with the four-movie series grossing over $3 billion at the worldwide box office (via The Numbers). Therefore, it's easy to see why Pixar and its parent company, Disney, want to keep the "Toy Story" cash stream flowing with the upcoming Buzz Lightyear origin film, "Lightyear."
While previous installments in the "Toy Story" franchise saw Tim Allen portraying Lightyear, the new film will see former Marvel star Chris Evans stepping in to play the role of the fictional character that Allen's in-movie action figure was inspired by. Evans, of course, previously played Steve Rogers AKA Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before stepping away from the role in 2019's "Avengers: Endgame."
However, if there are any fans out there who might have thought that Evans was completely leaving his Captain America legacy behind, they would be mistaken. In fact, the first trailer for "Lightyear" includes a big visual moment that connects it to Evans' Captain America.
The Lightyear trailer features a big visual nod to The Avengers
As pointed about by the @FilmEasterEggs Twitter account, there's a particular moment in the "Lightyear" trailer that focuses on the well-known space suit the Buzz Lightyear action figure wears in the "Toy Story" movies. The shot shows the suit from a lower angle with Buzz's feet pointing towards it. Meanwhile, the next shot is a close-up of Buzz's face as he looks at the suit. While it might not seem like a Marvel homage at first, this sequence actually mirrors a very pivotal moment in "The Avengers," when Steve Rogers comes face-to-face with his Captain America suit.
Now, there are some subtle differences between the two sequences. For instance, the camera is placed a bit higher in the "Avengers" scene than it is in "Lightyear." That said, the similarities are still too obvious to ignore. Of course, whether it's a deliberate homage to Chris Evans' Captain America or not is impossible to say right now.
Once again, though, the fact that both characters are played by Evans certainly makes it feel like it's a nod on the part of the "Lightyear" filmmakers to the actor's time in the MCU. Plus, it wouldn't be a huge stretch to imagine this was a deliberate choice on the part of the film's creative team. After all, both Pixar and Marvel Studios are owned by Disney.