Tim Allen confirms he’s returning as Buzz Lightyear for Toy Story 5

Tim Allen is dusting off his space suit to reprise his out of this world character, Buzz Lightyear, for Toy Story 5.

Some fans may have feared that Allen may not return due to the franchise in the wake of 2022's Lightyear, a spin-off about the same character voiced by Chris Evans.

But Allen confirmed the news on Wednesday, taking to Twitter to update elated fans of the cartoon spaceman.

"See ya soon Woody, you are a sad strange little man and you have my pity. And off we go to a number five! To infinity and beyond," Allen said.

His tweet also hinted that the lead character Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks, will also appear for the fifth instalment of the Toy Story franchise.

Social media users took to social media to celebrate the big news.

One user said: "The REAL Buzz Lightyear is coming back! I’m so excited for all the amazing projects you are going to be a part of."

Another added: "Wonderful news! Thought it was finished and glad it isn't."

While a third commented: "[I] haven’t been this excited for a Disney movie in a long time."

Disney announced this week they will be doing Toy Story 5, as well as a Frozen 3 and a Zootopia 2.

Allen announced his inclusion in Disney's upcoming project only weeks after Pamela Anderson accused the actor of flashing her on the set of '90s sitcom Home Improvement in her memoir, Love, Pamela.

She wrote: "On the first day of filming [Home Improvement], I walked out of my dressing room, and Tim was in the hallway in his robe.

"He opened his robe and flashed me quickly - completely naked underneath. He said it was only fair, because he had seen me naked. Now we’re even."

She was 23 and he was in his late 30s.

Allen, however, said there was no truth to the allegations.

"No, it never happened. I would never do such a thing," he said in a statement.

According to Forbes, fans did wonder why Allen didn't voice Buzz in the Lightyear spin-off, with some questioning if he was left out because of his conservative political views.

But Lightyear's director-screenwriter Angus MacLane explained the reasoning behind his casting choice to Vanity Fair.

"Tim's version of Buzz is a little goofier and is a little dumber, and so he is the comic relief... Chris Evans has the gravitas and that movie-star quality that our character needed to separate him and the movie from Tim's version of the toy in Toy Story," he said.