Colman Domingo: Cowardly Lion’s Voice in ‘Wicked: For Good’

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Colman Domingo will join the cast of Wicked: For Good as the voice of the Cowardly Lion. 

Wicked: For Good director John M. Chu teased a big star was going to be surprised revealed on the red carpet at the film’s premiere.  

“Man, wait until the red carpet when the actor who gave us the Cowardly Lion’s voice steps foot on it,” Chu told Deadline in an interview.

The only details released were that it would be the voice of the iconic Cowardly Lion, which was a voiceless role in Wicked. 

Wicked fans immediately swirled in theories after the tease. 

The fan response got so explosive and conspiratory that the team behind promoting Wicked decided to reveal the news early. 

After the initial tease, there were fake rumors and memes that spread.  

Internet influencers joked that comedian and musical veteran James Corden would be the voice. 

These jokes began because of the actor’s prolific appearances in recent musical adaptations, most of which have annoyed fans of the original productions. 

Early in the casting for the first film there was a petition going around, which people were signing to say don’t cast Corden. 

Fans also speculated that musical main-stay Lin-Manuel Miranda would be the voice, but the actor quickly dispelled that rumor via social media.

Several fan news sites wrote articles about the speculation and laid out their picks for the role.

The pressure from fake reporting and fan speculation might have forced the marketing team to release the casting announcement to not tank excitement for the anticipated sequel. 

Domingo is a prolific and long-working actor with Academy Award nominations and stage experience. 

Past awards darling films include Sing Sing, Rustin, If Beale Street Could Talk and The Color Purple. 

Domingo’s television work includes supporting roles in Fear The Walking Dead, Euphoria and recently The Four Seasons on Netflix. 

In 2024, Time Magazine named Domingo one of the 100 most influential people in the world. 

Wicked: For Good also stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo and will be released on November 21, 2025, only in theaters.