The good thing about being under the Disney umbrella is that you're never far from your next gig. Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor joined the Marvel Universe as Baron Mordo in Doctor Strange, and now he may be taking on one of Disney's most iconic villains.
Ejiofor is in talks to voice Scar in Jon Favreau's live-action The Lion King. Jeremy Irons memorably voiced the villainous lion in the classic 1994 movie. If he agrees, Ejiofor would join Donald Glover as Simba, James Earl Jones reprising his role as Mufasa, Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner as Timon and Pumbaa, John Oliver as Zazu, and possibly Beyoncé as Nala. The film will combine live-action with a heavy amount of CGI, just as Favreau's celebrated version of The Jungle Book did.
I think a small part of me hoped Irons would be asked back, but it's hard to complain about Ejiofor who is great in pretty much everything.
The Lion King opens July 19th 2019. [TheWrap]
