Colman Domingo is officially on his way to Oz.
According to Variety, the Oscar-nominated actor has been cast as the voice of the Cowardly Lion in Wicked: For Good, the eagerly awaited sequel to 2024’s Wicked film adaptation.
Colman Domingo is joining an all-star lineup of returning cast members for Wicked: For Good. Cynthia Erivo is back as Elphaba, Ariana Grande returns as Glinda, Jonathan Bailey reprises his role as Prince Fiyero, and Michelle Yeoh once again plays Madame Morrible. The ensemble also includes Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Ethan Slater as Boq, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, and Bronwyn James as ShenShen, with Jeff Goldblum returning as the Wizard.
The news of Domingo’s casting was announced on the official Wicked Instagram page. In a playful reveal video, the actor hid behind a stuffed lion before stepping forward and saying, “See you in Oz!” Director Jon M. Chu had teased the reveal earlier, telling fans they’d be surprised once the actor’s identity was revealed. “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,” Chu said.
The Cowardly Lion has been a beloved part of Oz mythology since 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, but in the Wicked universe, his origins go further back. As a cub, he’s rescued by Elphaba and Fiyero after being kept in a cage by a professor at Shiz University, who claimed he’d never learn to speak if imprisoned. That rescue shapes his journey, eventually leading to his appearance alongside Dorothy, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow.
In Wicked: For Good, the now-grown Lion returns, holding Elphaba responsible for the struggles he endured. He crosses paths with Dorothy and her friends as they make their way down the Yellow Brick Road and appears during the ensemble number “March of the Witchhunters.” While his role in the stage version is relatively small, his reemergence bridges the Wicked storyline with The Wizard of Oz, tying both worlds together.
The sequel picks up with the second act of the Broadway musical, exploring the unraveling friendship between Elphaba and Glinda as they fully embrace their destinies as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.
