Wicked: For Good to feature even more superstar talent after this iconic Cowardly Lion casting announcement.
On 16 October, director Jon M Chu teased that a “celebrated actor” would be taking on the role of the beloved Wizard of Oz character during an interview with Deadline.
“I was like, ‘It’s not a ton of lines, but maybe you have a little time. I know you’re busy. I’ll come to you.’ He was like, ‘Why the f*ck not, let’s go! And then we went ahead and recorded the lines,” he told the news outlet.
“Man, wait until the red carpet when the actor who gave us the Cowardly Lion’s voice steps foot on it. It’ll be wild.”
While it seemed like we wouldn’t find out the actor’s identity until November, that all changed on 20 October when the Wicked social media accounts revealed Emmy winner Colman Domingo as the new Cowardly Lion.
At the start of the video, a lion plushy is shown wiggling about while the film’s epic score plays in the background. The plush is then lowered to reveal Domingo, who cheekily says: “See you in Oz!”
Naturally, the news was immediately embraced by fans, who flocked to Wicked’s Instagram comment section to share their excitement.
“I’m literally crying! I love Colman so much! This just made me even more excited and I thought I was already excited as I could be,” one person wrote, while another fan added: “This is AMAZING! Nobody more perfect for this. Congrats.”
In the first Wicked film, we got a glimpse of the Cowardly Lion after Elphaba saved him from captivity. The sequel will see the iconic character all grown up and travelling with the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and Dorothy – whose casting is still being kept under wraps.
Based on Act Two of the stage musical, Wicked: For Good explores the estranged friendship between Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) after Elphaba reclaims her power and rebels against the villainous Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum).
Elphaba, now in the possession of the Grimmerie, continues in her mission to reveal the Wizard’s deception and champion the rights of Oz’s animals.
Following Madame Morrible’s slander at the end of Part One, however, she has become a social pariah and dubbed ‘The Wicked Witch of the West’.
At the same time, Glinda has become the “glamorous symbol of Goodness for all of Oz,” which has her living in the Emerald City palace and serving as the friendly spokesperson and defender of the Wizard’s reign.
The synopsis adds: “As Glinda’s stardom expands and she prepares to marry Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) in a spectacular Ozian wedding, she is haunted by her separation from Elphaba. She attempts to broker a conciliation between Elphaba and The Wizard, but those efforts will fail, driving Elphaba and Glinda only further apart.
“The aftershocks will transform Boq (Tony nominee Ethan Slater) and Fiyero forever, and threaten the safety of Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), when a girl from Kansas comes crashing into all their lives.”
Wicked: For Good hits cinemas on 21 November.
Watch the final trailer below.
