Why Chris Evans Think Lightyear's Sox Is So Important
For years, fans wondered where exactly the idea of Buzz Lightyear from Pixar's "Toy Story" came from. Now we know the answer courtesy of the latest Pixar film, "Lightyear." Buzz Lightyear came from a movie Andy watched that made him want a toy based on his favorite protagonist so badly. The intergalactic adventure will undoubtedly do the same for many kids and adults when it finally arrives in theaters on June 17.
However, Buzz Lightyear toys aren't likely to be the only merchandise to come out of the new picture. The movie also introduces audiences to the character's loyal companion — a robot that looks like a cat named Sox. It was practically designed to be a toy for kids to play with, and it should offer ample comedic relief when the film comes out. During a presser event Looper attended, Buzz Lightyear voice actor Chris Evans spoke about what it was like working with Sox voice actor Peter Sohn, including how they didn't meet in person until relatively recently.
Chris Evans liked the idea of Buzz needing an emotional support cat
The relationship between Buzz and Sox is integral to the film's overall plot. That dynamic needed to work to sell the story, and even though Chris Evans and Peter Sohn weren't on camera together acting face-to-face, they still needed to come together as one to convince viewers that this was a special kind of friendship. During the press event, the two actors were asked about precisely this and how their chemistry came together. Amazingly, the two had never even met in real life until fairly recently, as Sohn revealed. They only met the previous day to the presser, so during the filming of the lines, Sohn had director Angus MacLane there to fill in as Buzz.
Evans added, "I love the dynamic. I really do. I mean, Peter did amazing work. But I like the idea of someone like Buzz, who's this very autonomous, austere kind of guy, but he's given an emotional support cat to acclimate ... just to address problems that he may otherwise overlook. And I think that's a nice metaphor for whether it's therapy or just the fact that we all need those emotional support moments."
Audiences may be used to seeing Buzz Lightyear next to Woody, but Sox sounds like an ideal companion in his standalone adventure.