Academy Award-nominated actor Colman Domingo will voice the Cowardly Lion in "Wicked: For Good," Universal Pictures announced Monday through an Instagram video featuring the "Euphoria" star playfully hiding behind a lion plush toy.

The casting revelation ends months of speculation about who would bring the iconic character to life in the highly anticipated sequel.​

Director Jon M. Chu disclosed that he approached Domingo through a direct message on Instagram to secure the role. "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," Chu said. Domingo reportedly responded enthusiastically, saying, "Why the f--- not, let's go!" before recording his lines for the film.​

The Cowardly Lion represents a significant expansion from the Broadway musical, where the character maintains only an offstage presence during the second act. In the stage version of "Wicked," the lion appears as a cub that Elphaba and Fiyero rescue from a classroom at Shiz University after animals are banned from teaching. The film sequel will present this character as an adult, having grown up since his rescue in the first movie.​

Chu had previously teased the casting announcement, building anticipation around the mystery actor. "Man, wait until the red carpet when the actor who gave us the Cowardly Lion's voice steps foot on it," the director said last week. "It'll be wild." The announcement on social media shows Domingo emerging from behind the plush lion to declare, "See you in Oz," accompanied by a wink.​

The Emmy-winning actor joins the returning cast of "Wicked: For Good," including Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. Other returning performers include Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Ethan Slater as Boq, and Marissa Bode as Nessarose.​

The sequel will introduce several classic "Wizard of Oz" characters, including the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Dorothy, though casting for these roles remains undisclosed. The film's narrative will intertwine with the 1939 classic as Dorothy arrives in Oz, bringing together the timelines of both stories.​

Domingo's casting generated positive reactions from fans on social media, with many expressing relief that other rumored actors, including James Corden, did not receive the role. One Twitter user celebrated, "James Corden isn't the lion in Wicked! We won!"​

"Wicked: For Good" will premiere in São Paulo, Brazil, on November 4 before its wide theatrical release on November 21. The film continues the story from last year's "Wicked," which earned 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won Oscars for Costume Design and Production Design. The first installment has grossed nearly $750 million worldwide.​

The sequel adapts the second act of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, exploring Elphaba and Glinda's transformation into the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. Jon M. Chu directed both films during a continuous production schedule that began in December 2022 and concluded in January 2024.

Tags
Colman Domingo, Wicked, Sequel, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo