Movies

Wicked: For Good Director Teases Wild Role for an Unexpected Star

Wicked: For Good Director Teases Wild Role for an Unexpected Star
Image credit: Legion-Media

Wicked: For Good director Jon M. Chu teases a wild, mind-blowing surprise casting as the voice of the Cowardly Lion when Universal’s sequel hits theaters next month.

Wicked: For Good is almost here, and director Jon M. Chu is dangling a fun surprise: the Cowardly Lion is in the sequel, and the voice behind him is a big, unexpected name. His words, not mine: fans are going to lose it.

The tease

Chu is keeping the Lion's voice actor under wraps for now, but he says it is someone both recognizable and surprising. The way it came together is very 2025: he slid into the actor's Instagram DMs, pitched that the role doesn't have a ton of lines, offered to record wherever was convenient, and got back a very enthusiastic yes. They knocked out the lines, and now Chu is saving the reveal for the premiere.

"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."

Where the Lion fits in

Wicked: For Good is the second half of the story, adapting act two of the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. That means it bumps right up against the classic Oz timeline, so you start seeing familiar faces like the Cowardly Lion. The film is a sequel to 2024's Wicked, with Jon M. Chu back in the director's chair and Universal Pictures releasing.

Cast check

  • Cynthia Erivo returns as Elphaba Thropp
  • Ariana Grande returns as Glinda Upland
  • Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar
  • Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz
  • Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp
  • Ethan Slater as Boq Woodsman
  • Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible
  • Bowen Yang as Pfannee
  • Bronwyn James as ShenShen
  • Sharon D. Clarke as the voice of Dulcibear

Release date

Wicked: For Good opens November 21, 2025.