Who in the Lion King cast was also in the original movie?

By Deputy Chief EditorJuly 18, 2019

183 2 minutes read

Comp of James Earl Jones and Mufasa in The Lion King — James Earl Jones is a familiar voice in The Lion King movies

The moment Lion King fans have been waiting for is finally here, with the live-action reboot due to open in UK cinemas this weekend following its UK premiere on Sunday night.

The new version of the Disney classic will be familiar to fans of the original in a lot of ways – with the story and many of the songs from the 1994 animated hit included, from Circle Of Life to Can You Feel The Love Tonight.

Its also got a whole new voice cast, with the likes of Donald Glover voicing Simba and Beyonce voicing Nala, while Seth Rogen, John Oliver and Chiwetel Ejiofor are also on board.

But has the movie retained any of its original 1994 cast members? Well yes, as it happens.

Heres what you need to know…

Who in the Lion King cast was also in the original movie?

While most of the cast of the new movie is new to the Lion King, there is one notable exception – in the shape of actor James Earl Jones.

The 88-year-old acting legend – who also voiced Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise – lent his distinctive voice to the role of Mufasa in the 1994 Lion King, and hes reprised it for the 2019 version.

The Lion King film Simba and Mufasa scene — Mufasa is a pivotal part of The Lion King (Picture: Disney)

Director Jon Favreau has explained why he decided to bring Jones back for the reboot – saying it was a pretty easy decision to make.

I see it as carrying the legacy across, he said. Just hearing him say the lines is really moving and surreal.

He admitted that having Jones on board was a bit intimidating also, saying: He was in New York and I was in Los Angeles, and you hear his voice over the headphones and its hard to try to be the director. Because when hes on the phone and he says, “Do you have any direction for me as Mufasa?”.I didnt really know what to say! I was like, “Anything that I have in my mind of what Mufasa is, is based on you”.

Actor James Earl Jones who is voicing Mufasa in The Lion King reboot — James Earl Jones voiced Mufasa in the 1994 Lion King as well as the reboot (Picture: Getty Images)

So, you know, you want to be supportive and helpful, but all I could do is keep from tearing up when I heard him recite the lines.

As well as the two theatrically released Lion King movies, Jones also voiced Mufasa int he 2015 Disney Channel original movie The Lion Guard: Return of The Roar.