To infinity and ‘Toy Story 5’! Tim Allen confirms return as Buzz Lightyear

Tim Allen confirmed this week that he will reprise his role as Buzz Lightyear in the newly announced “Toy Story” sequel.

“See ya soon Woody, you are a sad strange little man and you have my pity,” Allen tweeted on Wednesday, accompanied by a photo of Buzz. “And off we go to a number 5! To infinity and beyond!”

The reveal came hours after Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Bob Iger announced during an earnings call to investors that sequels to the “Toy Story,” “Frozen” and “Zootopia” franchises are in the works but gave no further details. Iger also disclosed that Disney plans to lay off 7,000 of its employees, potentially saving the company $5.5 billion.

Representatives for Allen could not immediately be reached.

Allen was notably absent from last year’s release of “Lightyear,” a “Toy Story” spinoff in which Chris Evans voiced the space ranger. Allen had voiced Buzz since the 1995 release of the first “Toy Story,” Pixar’s debut feature film, and through its three sequels.

“Lightyear,” about the man the toy Buzz Lightyear is based on, floundered at the box office, and some fans and critics pointed to Allen’s missing voice as a possible factor.

Leading up to the release of “Lightyear,” its director Angus MacLane told Vanity Fair that Allen’s Buzz wasn’t a good fit for the more serious tone of the dramatic sci-fi spinoff.

“Tim’s version of Buzz is a little goofier and is a little dumber, and so he is the comic relief,” MacLane said. “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.”

He added that Evans, who played Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, had “the gravitas and that movie star quality” that was necessary for the new-look Lightyear.

With the upcoming fifth film of the main franchise, the return of other main characters, such as Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks, is expected. Woody also was absent from the spinoff. “There’s really no ‘Toy Story’ Buzz without Woody,” Allen told Extra last year while doing publicity for the release of “Lightyear.”

Allen has recently faced controversy after Pamela Anderson alleged he had exposed himself to her on the set of “Home Improvement” in the 1990s. Allen denied the account, which was detailed in a Variety excerpt from Anderson’s memoir, “Love, Pamela.”

“No, it never happened,” Allen said in late January. “I would never do such a thing.”

Anderson has since said Allen “had no bad intentions” with the flashing incident and said that it’s his job as a comedian “to cross the line.”

“I doubt anyone would try that post #MeToo,” Anderson told Entertainment Tonight at the time over text. “It’s a new world.”

Last year, Allen also reprised another Disney role, returning as Scott Calvin in the Disney+ series “The Santa Clauses,” an extension of the studio’s “The Santa Clause” franchise.