7 Actors Who Could Be Playing The Cowardly Lion In Wicked: For Good

Wicked: For Good will finally be here next month, but there are still plenty of surprises in store with this musical sequel. Director Jon M. Chu recently teased that a well-known actor has recorded lines for the Cowardly Lion, but gave no indication of who this secret cameo will be.

Though the Lion’s role will reportedly be very brief in Wicked: For Good, it’s very exciting to hear that Chu isn’t going to neglect the character just because of his limited runtime. The first Wicked movie had cameos from Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, so it’s fair to ᴀssume the Lion’s voice actor will have some link to musical theater.

Speaking with ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, the filmmaker gave audiences their first hint about this cameo: “Man, wait until the red carpet when the actor who gave us the Cowardly Lion’s voice steps foot on it. It’ll be wild.” He also confirmed that he reached out to the actor through social media, and they were immediately eager to get involved.

7

Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum performing on stage in The Greatest Showman

Although it was teased in Wicked, the sequel will give a more in-depth explanation of the Cowardly Lion’s origin story – most notably, his connection to Elphaba before the events of The Wizard of Oz. The character is revealed to be an older version of the lion whom Elphaba and Fiyero helped escape from Shiz University in the first movie.

The version of the Lion in Wicked is much younger than the one audiences will know from The Wizard of Oz, so it makes sense that somebody older would take on the role in this sequel. Hugh Jackman is a perfect candidate, as he’s got loads of experience in musical theater, and he’s also a well-renowned movie star in his own right.

Jackman certainly lives up to the high profile that Chu was teasing, and it would make complete sense for the actor to be eager to join Wicked‘s beloved cast. He’s appeared in some of the most prolific movie musicals of all time, from Les Misérables to The Greatest Showman, so this would be an excellent notch for his belt.

6

Nathan Lane

Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne looking concerned in Monsters

The Cowardly Lion has quite a tragic backstory in Wicked, but most audiences will know the character for his comedic role in the original Wizard of Oz. If the upcoming sequel wants to lean more heavily into that familiar sense of humor, somebody like Nathan Line would be an undeniably great fit for the role.

Lane has done plenty of voice work in the past; he’s best known for playing characters such as Timon in The Lion King, Snowbell in Stuart Little, and Luno in Spellbound. He’s also done plenty of theater work, including musicals such as Guys & Dolls and The Producers. He’s got all the necessary credentials to fit into Wicked: For Good.

5

Anthony Ramos

The first Wicked movie felt like a grand celebration of musical theater as a whole, and Ramos has been a vocal champion of the art form for many years now. His involvement in Wicked: For Good would bring plenty of eyes to the sequel, and there’s no doubt that he’d do a great job as the Cowardly Lion.

4

Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper with gashes on his neck looking at something off camera

Bradley Cooper may not be the first name that comes to mind when considering Wicked, but the actor has a very strong track record for turning up in projects where he’s least expected. From his surprise appearance in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves to his recent turn as Jor-El in James Gunn’s Superman, Cooper is very familiar with cameos.

The Cowardly Lion feels like a very fitting character to add to this list. It’s not the kind of role that audiences typically ᴀssociate Bradley Cooper with, but it gives him the perfect opportunity to express his more theatrical – even musical – side. Cooper’s A-list Hollywood fame makes it easy to forget that he’s actually a Tony-nominated stage actor, too.

When speaking with ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, director Jon M. Chu also confessed that he was unsure whether his desired actor would have time to play the Cowardly Lion because of how busy they are. This definitely sounds like Bradley Cooper, whose schedule must have been very full last year with directing duties for his latest project, Is This Thing On?

3

Ben Platt

Amos stands outside smiling in the sunlight.

Ben Platt is another actor who’s made a seamless transition from stage to screen in recent years, beginning his career in musical theater and subsequently transferring those skills to Hollywood. He’s best known for his starring role in Dear Evan Hansen, which he also played in the 2021 movie adaptation of the same name.

Since winning a Tony Award for playing Evan Hansen on stage, Platt has become a mᴀssive name in the musical theater community. He seems like exactly the kind of person whose involvement in Wicked: For Good would make headlines and excite musical fans, which is clearly what Jon M. Chu intends to do with this cameo.

2

Norbert Leo Butz

After seeing Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth’s cameos in Wicked, it only seems fair that Norbert Leo Butz would get his own appearance in the movie adaptation at some point. He originated the role of Fiyero on Broadway, and went on to become a two-time Tony winner for his roles in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Catch Me If You Can.

Adding Butz to Wicked‘s cast feels like a very fitting way to honor his contribution to musical theater and uphold his legacy as one of Wicked‘s foundational cast members. He obviously can’t play Fiyero anymore, since Jonathan Bailey is doing excellent work in that role, but the Cowardly Lion is a very fitting side-step.

The only reason Butz isn’t the leading contender for this cameo is that he’s not that well-known among audiences, and most viewers wouldn’t recognize his voice as the Lion. This seems to go against what Chu has previously said about audiences going “crazy” on the red carpet. Only somebody with a higher profile among movie fans could illicit that reaction.

1

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hermes laughing in Percy Jackson and the Olympians — Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hermes in Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Lin-Manuel Miranda has quickly become the most talked-about person in the entire musical theater industry – and for good reason. His work on In the Heights and Hamilton resulted in some of the catchiest, most groundbreaking Broadway music in recent years, and he’s continued to apply his songwriting talent to multiple other projects.

Whether it’s writing the songs for Disney’s Moana or directing Andrew Garfield to an Oscar nomination with Tick…Tick…Boom!, Miranda has consistently proven that musicals aren’t just for musical theater fans. He’s also got a very recognizable voice, which makes him the perfect candidate for a vocal cameo as the Cowardly Lion.

Miranda was famously considered for a cameo in Wicked but was ultimately turned down because Jon M. Chu thought it would be too distracting. He was going to play one of the Munchkins in the film’s prologue. Letting him play the Cowardly Lion may have been their compromise: he gets to be in the film, but he won’t physically appear.