Be prepared.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is in talks with Disney to voice Scar in their upcoming The Lion King remake. The Oscar nominated actor for 12 Years a Slave joins an already impressive cast that includes Donald Glover as Simba, John Oliver as Zazu, Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner as Pumbaa and Timon respectively and the irreplaceable James Earl Jones reprising his role as Mufasa.
Hugh Jackman had been initially rumoured for the role, largely based off a photo he took of himself at Disneyland next to the statue of Walt Disney with the caption “PARTNERS”, but that idea has since been dismissed by his representative.
PHOTO SOURCE: The Lion King, Disney
Ejiofor is no stranger to playing villains when he played the evil but honourable Operative in Serenity. Even his portrayal of Mordo in Dr. Strange was nuanced skewing towards villainy. He also showed off his singing chops in the feature film Kinky Boots, so we should actually be prepared for some singing from Ejiofor.
If talks go forward, he’d be filling the shoes of Jeremy Irons, who played the role with incredible menace in the 1994 original.
The Lion King is set for release on July 19, 2019.
