The trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King had a few surprises for Disney fans. Among them was the revelation that, while the story of Mufasa could accurately be described as a prequel, there are sequel elements to the movie as well. Apparently the movie will introduce Blue Ivy as Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala. Kiara is not a new character created for this movie, though; she served as the protagonist for 1998’s direct-to-video sequel The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride. She also played a supporting role on The Lion Guard, which ran from 2016 until 2019 and centered on her younger brother Kion.
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The character of Kiara was previously voiced by Michelle Horn as a cub with Neve Campbell as a young adult in The Lion King II, and by Eden Riegel in The Lion Guard. The character also appeared in Kingdom Hearts II, where she was voiced by Tara Strong.
It was previously reported that Timon and Pumbaa would narrate the movie. With a multigenerational cast announced, it seems likely that they will be telling the story to Kiara, who never got to meet her grandfather during his lifetime.
Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny—their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.
The cast includes Aaron Pierre as Mufasa, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka (a lion prince with a bright future who accepts Mufasa into his family as a brother), Tiffany Boone as Sarabi, Kagiso Lediga as Young Rafiki, Preston Nyman as Zazu, Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros (a formidable lion with big plans for his pride), Thandiwe Newton as Taka’s mother, Eshe, Lennie James as Taka’s father, Obasi, Anika Noni Rose as Mufasa’s mother, Afia, Keith David as Mufasa’s father, Masego, John Kani as Rafiki, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, Donald Glover as Simba, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala.
Mufasa: The Lion King is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 20th.
