The Lion King Fancasting

IMAGE VIA DISNEY

Yesterday (28th September) Disney announced Jon Favreau will be directing a live-action/CG-reimagining of The Lion King.

Like many 20-somethings this is my favourite childhood and animated film of all time.

So everyone will be keeping a close eye on who Disney and Favreau will cast and unlike The Jungle Book (which had an amazing cast), no one’s passed away.

The simplest and easiest thing would be to bring some of the big names back in the role, however, this is reimagining which means the film will need some new blood.

The only thing I want coming back from the original film is Hans Zimmer doing the score.

I’ll stress this is MY fancasting and if you agree or disagree then awesome! Let’s talk about it.

Mufasa

Previously Voiced By – James Earl Jones

James returning as Mufasa is likely to be the one everyone wants to happen, and it could as he’s returning to voice Darth Vader in Star Wars Rebels and Rogue One, but maybe this should be voiced by someone new.

I had loads of names in my head from Will Smith to Jesse L. Martin (plays Joe West in The Flash TV show), but none of them felt right.

So how do you replace Jones, one of the most iconic voices in cinema? Well, you replace him with another iconic voice. That’s right I’m going big and casting Morgan Freeman as Mufasa!

Just incase Freeman isn’t in Disney’s mind or if he doesn’t want to do it then my second choice is Lawrence Fishburne.

Young & Adult Simba

Previously Voiced By – Jonathan Taylor Thomas & Matthew Broderick

Probably the most important casting, besides Mufasa, is getting the right voices to play young and adult Simba.

Young Simba was easy for me, I’d cast Jacob Trembley because he should have gotten an Oscar nomination for his superb performance in Room and honestly, that performance alone should convince you.

I don’t know if he can sing? If not then just bring in a young broadway actor to sing “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” and “Hakuna Matata.”

As for Adult Simba, voiced brilliantly by Broderick, I’d also try and cast someone who can sing and act, which is why I’m picking Grant Gustin.

In The Flash, Gustin is showing how good of an actor he’s developing into and we all know he can sing thanks to Glee and we’re looking forward to the Flash/Supergirl musical crossover, well I am anyway, and I don’t think it’s too far of a stretch making their voices somewhat similar.

Scar

Previously Voiced By – Jeremy Irons

Similar to Jones and Mufasa, Irons is iconic to many millennials as the voice of Scar and now he’s Alfred.

The easiest answer would be to get someone like Idris Elba and honestly you could pick any English actor to voice Scar especially those already working under Disney for example Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch.

However, my number one choice would be Tom Hardy or on the other hand I went left-field and picked Colin Firth because I think he could have a menacing villain voice.

Young & Adult Nala

Previously Voiced By – Niketa Calame & Moira Kelly

You remember Nala. Simba’s friend turned lover with just one song after years apart. We can all admit we didn’t know or probably didn’t care who voiced the character.

For Young Nala, I’d stay in the Disney family and cast a young actress who’s working on a Disney channel show.

Meanwhile for Adult Nala, I’d also pick it in the Disney family and cast Spider-Man: Homecoming’s Zendaya.

She too can sing, which is important to me because I’d like to hear Gustin and Zendaya duet for “Can You Feel The Love Tonight.”

My second choice would be Daisy Ridley as an adult Nala, but I have another role in mind for her.

Timon & Pumbaa

Previously Voiced By – Nathan Lane & Ernie Sabella

Timon and Pumbaa are the characters that brings much needed light relief after seeing the horrific death of Mufasa.

It’s easy to place a well know double act like Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele or people from Saturday Night Live into a role like these.

However, I think it’d be a nice throwback to Favreau’s Iron Man days and bring in Robert Downey Jr as Timon and I think Favreau himself would do a decent job as Pumbaa.

If Favreau doesn’t won’t to voice a character then have someone like Mark Hamill come in a voice Pumbaa as he too would do a brilliant job.

If they don’t have a decent singing voice for “Hakuna Matata” then do something similar to Christopher Walken did in The Jungle Book and “I Wa’na Be Like You.”

Sarabi

Previously Voiced By – Madge Sinclair

Sarabi was Simba’s mum so this is a cameo role at best depending on how Favreau’s version goes, we might see more of Scar’s reign as tribe leader.

Either way, I’d like to see Viola Davis voice this character as she’d have this strong but soft voice and be a nice balance of someone like Freeman.

Ed, Shenzi & Banzai

Previously Voiced By – Jim Cummings, Whoopi Goldberg & Cheech Marin

Ed, Shenzi and Banzai were Scar’s hyena henchmen and again you could easily bring back someone like Goldberg as these three were minor characters.

They also add humour to the film and three performers I’d be into voices them would be, Taraji P. Henson as Shenzi, Michael Pena as Banzai and Ed doesn't need a voice actor.

All three have comedy chops and could see them annoying someone like Hardy or Firth as Scar.

Zazu

Previously Voiced by – Rowan Atkinson

I loved Zazu mainly because I love Atkinson and he’d be the only person from the original film to return as he’s a minor character.

I’ll keep to the role to have someone new, so I was thinking Simon Pegg or Paul Bettany. I then thought Zazu doesn’t have to be a male character it could easily be a female voice, but it has to be British.

Similar to Scarlett Johansson voicing Kaa in The Jungle Book, my pick for Zazu would be Daisy Ridley.

Ridley is in the Disney family with Star Wars and all she’d need to do is dial her middle-class accent up a little more and you’d good to go.

There you have it, my fancast for Jon Favreau’s Lion King. What do you think?

Let me know in the comments below or message me on Twitter @Shaun_Wren.