Colman Domingo is all set to play the Cowardly Lion in the upcoming Wicked: For Good film

Wicked: For Good, the second part of the film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical hits theatres on November 21, 2025. Director Jon M. Chu takes the helm of this movie which picks up the story of the Wicked franchise from where the 2024 Wicked fit in the timeline to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.
 
The musical follows a storyline composed of songs by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, that was meant to reimagine Oz before Dorothy's arrival as a girl from Kansas to a different land which followed two witches, Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) the green skinned future Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda Upland (Ariana Grande). The first Wicked film provided insight about how a rivalry and an intense bond formed between the two witches during their experiences were living and learning at Shiz University. All of the tendencies and themes explored included, prejudice, single power, and rights of talking animals in a world framed with fantasy elements. 

The new film also will introduce classic characters of Oz such as the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Dorothy which include Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, and Colman Domingo, who was nominated for an Oscar for the film Rustin and who won an Emmy for his work in the show Euphoria, as the Cowardly Lion.   

His casting adds depth to a character tied to the story’s themes of oppression and self discovery. Domingo, a Black queer actor with a theatre background brings a unique perspective to this beloved figure, whose journey mirrors real world struggles for identity and courage. 

Colman Domingo as the Cowardly Lion in Wicked: For Good

The Cowardly Lion in Wicked: For Good isn’t just the trembling beast from the 1939 Wizard of Oz film. In the first Wicked movie, a lion cub appears in a key scene at Shiz University, caged and terrified, symbolising the Animals losing their rights under the Wizard’s rule. Elphaba and Fiyero free the cub, but the act has consequences. In the sequel, that cub is revealed as the grown Cowardly Lion, now wandering Oz with Dorothy’s crew, grappling with his past and his fear.

Colman Domingo’s casting came about unusually. Chu, a longtime admirer contacted him via Instagram DM in early 2024 asking him to voice the Lion as a cameo. Domingo fresh off critical acclaim for Rustin and Sing Sing, agreed enthusiastically. He recorded his lines over several weeks, blending Broadway style vocal power with emotional nuance. 

Domingo’s Lion is complex. Chu has teased that the character harbours resentment toward Elphaba, blaming her for his troubled life post rescue. This adds a layer of conflict absent in Baum’s books or the 1939 film where the Lion played by Bert Lahr, was more comic relief. Domingo draws on his own experiences growing up in Philadelphia, founding theatre groups for marginalised youth and breaking barriers as a Black queer actor.

The Lion’s arc ties into the film’s exploration of animal oppression a metaphor for real world discrimination making Domingo’s performance a standout in a star packed cast. 

 At 55 he’s a theatre veteran who started in San Francisco’s indie scene creating works like Up Jumped Springtime to amplify unheard voices. His experience stretches into TV like Fear the Walking Dead, films like The Color Purple. His Oscar nomination for portraying Bayard Rustin, a civil rights leader showed his ability to carry historical weight and his work on Euphoria as Ali, a recovering addict showcased his emotional depth. In Wicked: For Good Domingo brings that a sense of gravitas to a genre (fantasy) role, in order to convey Lion’s fear and eventual bravery in a relatable way.

Wicked: For Good launches only in theatres on November 21, 2025.

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