Ever since Disney acquired Marvel, the Internet can’t help but combine the two franchises in forms of jokes and fan art. From Shuri’s status as a Disney Princess to the Stan Lee cameo in Ralph Breaks the Internet, there is no shortage of love between the married companies.
Earlier this week, Reddit user, u/iMizurii, was inspired by the new live-action The Lion King poster to create a Killmonger/Simba crossover. Erik Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan, is the main antagonist in Black Panther. Before taking a look at the alterations, here’s the original poster:
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The image shows Simba as a cub stepping into the paw print of an adult lion. (Excuse us while we get emotional thinking about how we have to watch James Earl Jones’ Mufasa die AGAIN.) Here’s the updated, Killmonger version of the image:
Killmonger version of my Marvel Studios mashup with the live action Simba from Lion King! from r/marvelstudios
As you can see, the fan art changes up Simba’s eyes and adds some leopard spots. If you’re not sure what makes the image Killmonger-inspired, take a look at Preyy, Killmonger’s pet leopard from the comic books, who follows the villain’s commands.
Some commenters were quick to point out that if any character in The Lion King should be compared to Killmonger, it’s Scar, who will be voiced by Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave, Serenity) in the upcoming film.
Just like Killmonger, Scar feels he deserves to rule the land instead of his relative, and spends the film as the main antagonist, plotting against his family member, willing to do whatever it takes to take power.
This isn’t the first Marvel/Lion King mash-up to grace the Internet. Boss Logic decided to break our hearts this week by inserting the infamous Thanos/Gamora scene from Avengers: Infinity War on top of Pride Rock.
The trailer for The Lion King has Disney fans flipping out, making it the company’s second most-viewed trailer debut, falling short only to Infinity War. The film, which will be directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man, The Jungle Book), has a star-studded cast.
In addition to Ejiofor and Jones, the film is set to star Donald Glover (Simba), Beyoncรฉ Knowles-Carter (Nala), Seth Rogen (Pumba), and Billy Eicher (Timon). No matter how you feel about CGI lions, there’s no doubt the soundtrack to this new film is going to be one for the ages.
The Lion King is set to be released in theaters on July 19, 2019.
