Toy Story crossover. Being a spin-off of the Toy Story franchise focused on the titular Space Ranger, it was expected that Lightyear would be filled with Easter eggs and references to Toy Story. In the end, Lightyear only had a handful of references to the Toy Story universe, missing its best opportunity for a perfect Toy Story crossover.
Despite their popularity, Toy Story's aliens (also known as the Little Green Men) didn't appear in Lightyear. In the Toy Story franchise, the aliens are a group of identical three-eyed green toys that come from the Pizza Planet claw machine, with a trio of aliens becoming part of the main cast in Toy Story 3. Being a species of aliens, featuring the Little Green Men in Lightyear seemed like a shoo-in - but it didn't really happen.
Lightyear's Green Alien Cameo Explained
Although they don't appear as actual aliens, a reference to the characters appears in Hawthorne's room in Lightyear. A child's drawing of the green aliens can briefly be seen, pinned on a wall in the background of one shot. While this reference to the Little Green Men is neat, it doesn't actually confirm that the characters exist in the universe of Lightyear. It's possible that the aliens are just a figment of the child's imagination, or that the Pizza Planet restaurants actually existed in the past (with Lightyear being explained as a movie that exists in the world of Toy Story). Although the aliens are referenced, it's only a brief cameo.
The "Claw" Aliens Were Still Perfect For Lightyear
Even though they are technically referenced, the aliens from Pizza Planet's claw machine were still perfect for a bigger role in Lightyear. Featuring the green aliens in Lightyear would have allowed the film to reference the Toy Story franchise while also making the reference meaningful, as a race of identical aliens would fit in perfectly with the world of Lightyear. Even if they weren't part of the main plot, another alien race would have gone a long way to make the world of Lightyear feel more populated.
The Little Green Men aren't part of the Buzz Lightyear franchise in theLightyear would have had to retcon this in order to feature them - but the franchise has already done this before. The aliens are prominently featured in the animated series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, an origin story that also exists in the universe of Toy Story. Making the aliens real in Lightyear wouldn't have been a risky step, considering it has been done before, making it really seem like the movie missed a perfect Toy Story cameo for no reason.
