The trailer for the new Disney-Pixar film Toy Story have had for over two decades. The trailer has few lines, but still gives background information on who Buzz is and where he works. It also finally unravels the mysterious meanings behind some of Buzz's iconic traits.
The film Lightyear isn't meant to be a sequel to Toy Story 4, despite sharing a main character. The film instead tells Buzz's origin story. Buzz Lightyear isn't a toy in the prequel either. He is very clearly a human astronaut, though it's unclear if he's on Earth or another planet.
The creators of Toy Story say that they always intended that Buzz Lightyear was a toy based on a character from an action-adventure film. This is their reasoning for making Buzz a human and replacing Tim Allen with Captain America's Chris Evans. From as far back as the first Toy Story film 26 years ago, fans have had lingering questions about toy Buzz. They have wanted to know about some of the odd phrasings he uses, his catchphrases, and even the way he looks. It appears the trailer finally answers some of these questions.
How Buzz Became An Astronaut
The exact timeline for Lightyear in relation to Toy Story is unclear, but we can see from the trailer that it seems to be when Buzz is in training and going on a first mission. He can be seen in a Star Command issued baseball tee, staring longingly at a launch. Later, he's attending classes and looking at a suit with the same wistfulness. It's clear that this young Buzz is eager to prove himself and go on a real mission.
What Buzz Lightyear's Mission Is
While Buzz sits in training, the whiteboard behind EARL, the robot teaching, shows the path he appears to take later inside the spaceship. It also appears to measure minutes in the ship versus years on the planet/space station. This, combined with the fact that Buzz is "awakening from hypersleep" in the first Toy Story film, suggests that maybe Buzz is actually both a space and time traveler like in Star Trek.
The Origin of "To Infinity and Beyond!"
If Buzz really is a time traveler, this would make his signature catchphrase "To Infinity and Beyond!" have a different meaning. It seems like he means "to the end of time and further". The trailer shows him sharing this phrase with a fellow space ranger who is also in training. Later in the Toy Story films, Buzz and Woody also exchange this phrase back and forth - it's even their last words to each other in Toy Story 4. It seems this was either a common saying at the academy or one he is using to a lost friend.
In the first Toy Story, Buzz Lightyear uses a lot of unclear jargon. He talks about having to fix his ship with very technical and then asks Woody, "Do you people still use fossil fuels or have you discovered crystallic fusion?" At the time, it just seemed like fun nonsense but the Lightyear trailer actually gives weight to his words. The ship human Buzz is seen piloting bears a striking resemblance to the box toy Buzz comes packaged in. What's more, the ship appears to use a crystal as a power source - meaning that crystallic fusion is no longer meaningless jargon.
Why He Has The Chin Swirl
For years, many have wondered what the little swirl on Buzz Lightyear's chin could possibly be. It looks like hair, or perhaps a weird scar. Instead, it seems that human Buzz has a dimple in the middle of his chin - and the toy's creators took artistic license with it.
What Buzz Lightyear's Suit Is Based On
Buzz Lightyear's suit is iconic in movie shows him wearing other clothes. He's in a blue denim outfit, sweats, or a different suit when he's in his spacecraft. Yet the iconic suit does appear a few times in the trailer. One key scene is Buzz standing behind its glass case. It appears that the suit is something to be earned, and Buzz has his sights set on it.
Why Buzz Lightyear Has A Karate Chop Action
It always seemed odd that in Toy Story, Buzz had karate chop action. Why would an astronaut need to know martial arts? However, in the trailer, human Buzz is startled by a cat and immediately goes into his iconic 'karate chop' moves. It seems that this is something they train for at the academy that Buzz just does it instinctively. Perhaps this means that there will be a lot more action in this adventure film, maybe with some less-than-friendly space aliens.
Where Buzz Lightyear's Red Button Comes From
Buzz's suit has a large, red button in Lightyear seems to hint it has an important purpose. The toy has a large but simple button - though the size and color make it stand out. In the trailer, the word 'CAUTION' is clearly visible, and it appears to be a valve. This could be for his oxygen. The amount of detail suggests that perhaps this is going to play a part in the plot of the film.
What Star Command Is
Toy Story doesn't explain much about Star Command beyond that it's fighting the Evil Emperor Zurg. However, taking into consideration the lessons Buzz is taking and the rigorous training he is undergoing, it seems that Star Command is much more complex than good guys fighting bad guys. Lightyear implies that Star Command has mastered time travel and that Buzz rises to become one of their top people.
