Universal Pictures has officially welcomed another award-winning actor to the Wicked: For Good cast for the role of the Cowardly Lion. The highly anticipated sequel to last year’s acclaimed musical fantasy sequel is still slated to arrive in theaters on November 21, 2025.
Who is playing the Cowardly Lion in Wicked: For Good?
The studio officially announced that Rustin and The Color Purple star Colman Domingo has signed on to lend his voice to the iconic character of Cowardly Lion in the upcoming Wicked: For Good movie. His casting was revealed through an Instagram video, featuring the acclaimed actor with a lion stuffed toy. Before Domingo, the character was previously played by Bert Lahr in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, Ted Ross in the 1978 musical version, and David Alan Grier in the 2015 TV special.
Jon M. Chu is directing the sequel from a screenplay written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. The sequel will also feature the return of Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar, Ethan Slater as Boq Woodsman, Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, and Jeff Goldblum as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In a previous interview, Bailey teased that the “world gets heavier and more complicated” in the sequel, while also expressing his excitement for fans to see the tonal shift in the story.
The first installment currently holds a Certified Fresh rating of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 402 reviews. It won two of its ten Academy Award nominations, including Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.
