Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Mufasa: The Lion King!

Mufasa: The Lion King may have been a prequel to the 2019 remake, but it has perfectly set up three replacements for Simba in the future of The Lion King franchise. Simba is the main protagonist of The Lion King franchise, and while there have been stories surrounding other characters, the majority of the lore in the series has revolved around him. However, he isn’t the only protagonist to be featured in The Lion King projects, and Mufasa: The Lion King has already set up three perfect replacements who could carry the franchise forward.

After the mᴀssive box office success of 2019’s live-action The Lion King remake, it was obvious that Disney couldn’t just let the franchise sit on a shelf. Thus, it was no surprise when Mufasa: The Lion King was announced, with Disney choosing to continue the live-action series with an original story. Mufasa: The Lion King tells the story of Mufasa’s rise from an orphan cub to the king of the Pride Lands, with the tale centering on his relationship with Taka, who would later become Scar. However, this prequel story may not be the end of The Lion King.

Mufasa Acts As A Simba Replacement In The Lion King’s Prequel & He Could Keep Replacing Him

If There Are More The Lion King Prequel Movies

In the original The Lion King, Mufasa acts as the father figure to Simba, with him being absent for half of the movie after his death. Mufasa is meant to be a figure who Simba aspires to be, not a protagonist with a character arc of his own. Mufasa: The Lion King changed this, with it making Mufasa a replacement for Simba. Mufasa is the protagonist of his origin story, with him having a lesson to learn rather than being a wise, unchanging being. Mufasa has to grow from a cub to a king, with his arc paralleling that of Simba.

Now that Mufasa has been characterized a lot more than he was in the original The Lion King story, he can continue to act as Simba’s replacement in future movies. Mufasa: The Lion King ends with Mufasa becoming king of the Pride Lands, although there is a lot more story to tell between the end of the prequel and the beginning of The Lion King. Mufasa is still incredibly young when he is crowned king, meaning that there is a lot of growing to do. Thus, another Mufasa: The Lion King movie could be made, filling in the gaps in The Lion King timeline.

The most interesting Mufasa story that could be told still centers on his relationship with Scar. Mufasa: The Lion King reveals that Mufasa and Scar’s rivalry mostly centers around their compeтιтion over Sarabi, who ends up with Simba. Although there is a rift between the duo at the end of Mufasa: The Lion King, it doesn’t seem like Scar is at the point of killing Mufasa yet. Something else had to have happened to increase Scar’s resentment of Mufasa, and another Mufasa: The Lion King movie could expand on this storyline.

Kiara Is Positioned As Simba’s Replacement In Mufasa Too

She Could Star In The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride

Another interesting option for a future The Lion King protagonist would be Simba and Nala’s daughter, Kiara. Kiara is introduced to the live-action movies in Mufasa: The Lion King. The prequel uses a framing device in which Timon, Pumbaa, and Rafiki tell a young Kiara the story of Mufasa, with the film jumping forward in the timeline as this story is being told. Kiara plays a fairly small role in Mufasa: The Lion King, but now that she has been set up, she could play a mᴀssive role in the live-action series’ future.

In the animated The Lion King movies, Kiara becomes a protagonist of her own. She is the main character in the animated sequel, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, in which she falls in love with an outsider lion named Kovu. There has been a lot of speculation about the possibility of a live-action remake of The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, and after the success of the first two live-action movies, it is possible. The sequel could build off of Kiara’s introduciton in Mufasa: The Lion King, finally fleshing out her animated storyline in live-action.

Simba’s New Son Is His Longterm Replacement In The Lion King Franchise

If The Lion Guard Is Adapted In Live-Action

Kiara isn’t the only lion cub introduced in Mufasa: The Lion King, as Simba and Nala are shown to have another child in the film. At the end of Mufasa: The Lion King, Kiara sees that she has a brother, with Simba revealing their new son to the world. Although it hasn’t been confirmed, it is likely that this new character is Kion, a pre-existing The Lion King character. Kion is the protagonist of the animated TV series The Lion Guard, and his story could be continued in the live-action movies as well.

There are three seasons of The Lion Guard as well as several movies, meaning that there are plenty of stories to tell surrounding Kion. While Kiara could act as a fine replacement for one movie, Kion would be the clear future of The Lion King franchise. There is all kinds of potential and possibilities for stories surrounding Kion in live-action, and if The Lion King is looking to replace Simba, he is the most obvious option.

Disney Can’t Forget About Telling More Of Simba’s Story With All These Replacements

In New The Lion King Sequels

Although there are several opportunities to replace him, Disney doesn’t need to forget to tell stories about Simba. After all, Simba is the protagonist of The Lion King franchise, and the live-action series doesn’t have to stick to telling just one Simba story. Simba is involved in The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride as well as The Lion Guard, meaning that his role can be expanded in potential adaptations of these stories.

On top of that, original stories surrounding Simba’s time after The Lion King could be told. Running the Pride Lands isn’t easy, and a film focusing on Simba’s struggles as king would be an interesting way to carry the franchise forward. Mufasa: The Lion King proved that the series is interested in telling original stories, and another movie focused on Simba would be a great option for this approach.