Colman Domingo is officially headed to Oz.
Per Variety, the Oscar-nominated actor has been tapped to voice the Cowardly Lion in Wicked: For Good, the highly anticipated sequel to 2024’s Wicked film adaptation.
Domingo joins a stacked lineup of returning cast members. Cynthia Erivo reprises her role as Elphaba, Ariana Grande is back as Glinda, Jonathan Bailey continues as Prince Fiyero, and Michelle Yeoh returns as Madame Morrible. The cast also includes Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Ethan Slater as Boq, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, and Bronwyn James as ShenShen. Jeff Goldblum is set to appear once again as the Wizard.
The announcement of Domingo’s role was revealed on the official Wicked Instagram account. In the video, Domingo playfully hid behind a stuffed lion before revealing himself to fans and saying, “See you in Oz!” Director Jon M. Chu had teased the reveal beforehand, telling fans they’d be surprised once the actor was announced. “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,” Chu said.
The Cowardly Lion has been a central figure in Oz lore since the original 1939 The Wizard of Oz film.
But in the Wicked universe, his backstory begins earlier. As a cub, he is rescued by Elphaba and Fiyero after being caged by a professor at Shiz University, who claimed he would never learn to speak if imprisoned. That moment sets him on the path that eventually leads to his appearance alongside Dorothy, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow.
In Wicked: For Good, the now-grown Lion reappears, blaming Elphaba for the hardships he faced. He crosses paths with Dorothy and her companions as they journey down the Yellow Brick Road, and he’s also featured during the ensemble number “March of the Witchhunters.” While the Cowardly Lion does not carry a large role in the stage version of Wicked, his presence ties the two timelines together as the story edges closer to the events of The Wizard of Oz.
The sequel will focus on the second act of the Broadway musical, following the unraveling friendship between Elphaba and Glinda as they step fully into their identities as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.