Colman Domingo Set to Voice Cowardly Lion in ‘Wicked: For Good’
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 14: Colman Domingo attends the 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on January 14, 2024 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association)
Colman Domingo will feature in the biggest upcoming musical adaptation. The Instagram account for Wicked: For Good announced that Domingo had been cast as the voice of the Cowardly Lion in the movie with a very cute video featuring Domingo, whose face was covered by a lion plushie and surrounded by others. The music swells, and the actor reveals his face and says “See you in Oz.”
At the end, it’s confirmed. Colman Domingo is the Cowardly Lion.
Just recently, Jon M. Chu teased the casting. “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 said. And though the announcement didn’t wait for the red carpet, it was still undoubtedly exciting for fans.
The Cowardly Lion was a main character in the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. In Wicked, we saw him as a young cub Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) rescue and set free. Once grown, however, as we will see in Wicked: For Good, the lion seems to blame Elphaba for his situation. Domingo’s part, though essential to the lore of Oz, isn’t expected to be significant.
Wicked: For Good covers the events of the second act of the musical, and focuses on Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship as they each embrace Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch of the North, respectively. The film is set to release in theaters on Nov. 21.
Colman Domingo is no stranger to big roles. He recently co-chaired the Met Gala and he has been nominated for a Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar two years in a row, for his performances in Rustin and Sing Sing.