We're a little over a month away from Wicked: For Good finally flying on a broomstick into our cinemas, and director Jon M. Chu has teased a big star joining the cast. The hotly-anticipated sequel to Wicked will see Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande reprise the roles of Elphaba and Glinda for a final showdown.
As more stars are returning for the grand finale, Chu has given fans a little clue as to who will be voicing a key character. In a recent interview, the filmmaker has explained he'd reached out to a secret star on Instagram to have him voice the Cowardly Lion.
Though Chu didn't disclose the identity of the star, he anticipated a commotion when he is revealed on the red carpet.
"I was like, 'It's not a ton of lines, but maybe you have a little time. I know you're busy. I'll come to you.' He was like, 'Why the f**k not, let's go!' And then we went ahead and recorded the lines," Chu told Deadline.
"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 continued.
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As fans are dying to know who the mystery man behind the Lion could be, there are theories pointing at Lin-Manuel Miranda, who would finally get his wish granted and get a role in Wicked.
The Hamilton star tried to get himself cast for 2024's Wicked, but was ultimately passed over as having him in the film would have been "distracting," as he explained last February.
Having Miranda to lend his voice to the Lion won't be surely as distracting as having him on screen, so that definitely sounds like a possibility.
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Other names that have been thrown in the mix so far are Stephen Fry and Jack Black, while others are suggesting JK Simmons and Thunderbolts* star Lewis Pullman.
Broadway star Alex Brightman, who played Wicked's Boq on stage, has also been considered.
While fans wait to find out who is voicing the character, the sequel has already set a huge record, becoming become Fandango's best first-day ticket pre-seller of 2025.
Wicked: For Good will land in UK cinemas on 21 November.
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
