During a press day for the film that Insider attended, director Angus MacLane explained why Tim Allen didn't return to voice the character.
"We didn't want the film to be a rehash of 'Toy Story' at all because then you're always comparing it to that film," MacLane said. "I wanted Buzz to be the spirit of that character, but not the exact same performance."
"When we actually were working with Chris, it was really important that we not try to emulate the original vocal performance," MacLane continued, adding that Evans was the team's first and only choice for the role.