If you’re paying attention to the 2025 movie calendar, you know we’re just a month away from the release of Wicked: For Good. If you’re already familiar with the hit Broadway musical, you may think you know what’s coming for the storyline and songs, but there are so many surprises in the movie that have yet to be revealed. One of them is concerning The Cowardly Lion and who will be voicing the role.
When director Jon M. Chu spoke to Deadline about the making of Wicked: For Good, he teased that we should be getting excited for the mysterious actor behind The Cowardly Lion. He said that he approached the star about the part via an Instagram direct message. In his words:
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.’ He was like, ‘Why the fuck not, let’s go!’ And then we went ahead and recorded the lines.
Now, this is an interesting mystery. Who could it be? It must be someone pretty good if he’s talking about them like this, but they’d also have to have an Instagram as well. The director also said this:
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.
Now that’s something fun to ponder ahead of Wicked: For Good hitting theaters next month. Of course, I looked online to see what people are guessing, but the guesses run the gamut way too much for there to be really any contender for us to talk about at the moment. It must be someone big, but who?
Wicked: For Good is set to not only continue the story of Glinda and Elphaba’s storyline after they met the Wizard of Oz together and went on separate paths, but it will also feature a spin on the classic story of Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion’s journey to Oz as well. (I know I was skeptical about Wicked being two movies, but knowing how much story there is to cover, I’m extremely excited that it was split up.)
Aside from the Cowardly Lion tease from Chu, the director has recently talked about how the Tin Man and Scarecrow will have “incredible” practical makeup and costumes. He also confirmed that Dorothy’s face won’t really be featured after previously telling CinemaBlend, “I do think it’s important for whoever Dorothy is to you, to try to respect that as much as possible,” back in December.
If the story of Wicked is completely new to you, I might suggest you avoid the final Wicked: For Good trailer, but boy, are we excited for all the answers (new and old) to reveal themselves to audiences when the movie hits theaters on November 21.