Who’s Voicing the Cowardly Lion in Wicked: For Good?

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Universal Pictures isn’t being completely honest about who will voice the Cowardly Lion in the upcoming movie *Wicked: For Good*. With the premiere just over a month away, they haven’t revealed the actor yet. While trailers have shown the Lion alongside Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man – mirroring familiar scenes from the original 1939 *Wizard of Oz* – the studio is keeping the identities of these characters, and their surprising new backstories, a secret.

The Cowardly Lion has a very small part in the second act of the musical *Wicked* – originally, only a rope representing him was visible. But because the stage show is being adapted into two long, visually-rich movies, the filmmakers wanted a well-known actor for the role. Director Jon M. Chu told Deadline he directly messaged an actor he admired on Instagram, explaining the part wasn’t large but asking if they’d be interested. The actor enthusiastically agreed, and they quickly recorded the lines.

I’m really excited for the red carpet – apparently, the guy who voiced the Cowardly Lion is going to be there, and I have a feeling it’s going to be a huge moment.

Everyone’s talking about a famous actor who uses Instagram. The buzz is, their arrival at the *Wicked: For Good* premiere is going to be a spectacle! But who is this secretive and captivating star?

When considering who might be cast in this role, the first thing to do is rule out James Corden. He frequently appears in musical films – like Into the Woods, The Prom, and even as a computer-generated cat in Cats – and while the director does follow him on Instagram, a Corden casting would likely be unpopular with fans. In fact, a 2021 Change.org petition with over 10,000 signatures specifically asked the director to exclude Corden from the Wicked movie. Casting him now would be seen as disrespectful to those fans.

Next, we need to eliminate other prominent musical theater performers as possibilities. While Hugh Jackman and Neil Patrick Harris are active on Instagram, it’s clear Chu isn’t connected to them on the platform, and they don’t follow him either. Jonathan Groff is another thought, but casting him might make the lion character overly attractive, and he doesn’t use Instagram himself (though Chu does follow an account dedicated to Groff’s fans).

We need to consider a wider range of possibilities. Who does Chu follow that could create this much excitement? Josh Gad is a major voice actor, and he’s collaborating with Chu and Ariana Grande on the upcoming film adaptation of *Oh, the Places You’ll Go!*. Jason Momoa is another possibility – he’d be a huge celebrity sighting on the red carpet and seems like someone who embraces spontaneity. However, neither of them quite matches the level of admiration hinted at in Chu’s statement.

We might need to consider more openly LGBTQ+ casting choices. Frankie Grande would generate buzz due to his famous sister, but he’s not known as a strong actor. Ben Platt has the right voice and energy for the Cowardly Lion, but he might not be a big enough star yet. Ben Whishaw is a possibility, but his role in *Paddington* could create conflicts, and he doesn’t seem to be active on social media. The director also doesn’t appear to follow prominent theater actors like Jim Parsons and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, or a major movie star like Pedro Pascal.

We’re down to a couple of really good choices, and a lot of us think Tom Hanks would be amazing! He’s such a beloved actor, and he really has that warm, friendly vibe that feels right for the role. But honestly, I’m still a little hesitant. My biggest worry is the timing. We don’t know exactly how much time passes between the first and second *Wicked* movies, but it can’t be too long. Remember the Lion? He was just a cub in the first film! And while I love Tom Hanks, having one of the most recognizable voices – a 69-year-old’s voice, specifically – playing a young lion feels…off. It would be a major distraction. That same problem actually eliminates a lot of other fantastic, older actors too, like Ian McKellen, Morgan Freeman, Dick Van Dyke, and Joel Grey. It’s a tricky situation!

Everyone seems to think Lin-Manuel Miranda is the mystery director, and honestly, it makes a lot of sense to me. He’s already done so much work with big musical numbers and CGI, like with *The Lion King*, and he’s publicly said how much he wanted to be in the *Wicked* movie – apparently, Jon Chu didn’t want him to overshadow everything! Plus, he just *seems* like the type of person who’d jump at a crazy opportunity like this. I even heard he had dinner with Jon, Cynthia Erivo, and Ariana Grande in London right before filming started. And get this – in a picture from the dinner, he’s wearing a green Luigi hat! People are saying the green is a nod to *Wicked*, and the ‘L’ stands for Lion – a possible hint about the project he’s involved with.

A fan account, @gelphiemylove, shared a comment from Miranda’s Instagram claiming, “It’s not me. Rest easy,” which seemed to dispute the rumor. However, the comment’s original context is unknown, so it’s unclear if it was actually about the Cowardly Lion casting or something else entirely. The fan account may simply be trying to get more interaction, and this comment alone doesn’t definitively prove the rumor is false.

If the rumor is accurate, I’d like to add another possible choice. Colman Domingo is a well-known actor who both follows and is followed by the director, and while his voice wouldn’t overshadow the movie, he’d be a fantastic addition to any *Wicked* premiere or event.

Here he is in leonine fur.

Here he is festooned in yellow-brick-road gold, right down to the boots.

And he loves a good Emerald City green.

You heard it here Brrrst.

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2025-10-17 20:56