Wicked: For Good has finally found it’s the Cowardly Lion in award-winning actor Colman Domingo.
Director Jon M. Chu had been teasing a major Hollywood star to voice Dorothy Gale’s furry friend, and now, the casting has been officially announced.
Colman Domingo Joins Wicked: For Good
After weeks of speculation, with some assuming Lin-Manuel Miranda or Tom Hanks would voice the Cowardly Lion in Wicked: For Good, Domingo was finally revealed to play the role.
The announcement came on the movie’s official Instagram account, where the 55-year-old star was seen holding a stuffed lion in front of his face before revealing himself.
“See you in Oz,” he said, giving everyone a wink as he was unveiled as the Cowardly Lion.
Before the announcement, director Jon M. Chu remained mum about the star who would voice the lion, whom Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) rescued as a cub in the first film.
However, in an interview with Deadline, Chu revealed that he had sent a message to the Rustin star’s Instagram to offer him the role and ask if he had time.
“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 said. “He was like, ‘Why the f--k not, let’s go!’ And then we went ahead and recorded the lines.”
And knowing how stylish Colman is—as the co-chair of this year’s Met Gala—the director can’t wait to see how he’ll bring the Cowardly Lion to life on the red carpet.
“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,” he teased.
Fans React to Colman Domingo’s Wicked: For Good Casting
As one of the most celebrated actors today—widely regarded as highly talented and versatile—many are celebrating Colman Domingo’s casting in Wicked: For Good.
In fact, the Critics Choice Awards even congratulated the two-time Academy Award nominee for his role in the highly anticipated movie sequel.
Like Chu, X user @cupidjonny also can’t wait to see how the playwright will show up at the movie’s premiere with fellow cast member Bailey, describing the pair as “being beautiful and lovely together.”
Knowing how fashionable Domingo can be—the fashion icon that he is—@cfree94 wants him to attend the red carpet wearing Kylie Jenner’s look from Paris Fashion Week in January 2023, where she donned a black velvet dress featuring a giant, lifelike lion’s head.
And for @sansbreadstix, Domingo’s role in Wicked: For Good is “such goated casting.”
Evidently, many fans are already looking forward to seeing how Domingo will do justice to his role as the Cowardly Lion in the Wicked follow-up.
Joining a star-studded cast that includes Jonathan Bailey, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldblum, and Michelle Yeoh, his star power will surely add even more magic to the film.
Wicked: For Good is set to hit theaters on November 21.
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