I Can’t Believe That’s All We Got From Wicked: For Good’s Cowardly Lion After So Much Hype

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It’s disappointing that the recent Wicked: For Good movie didn’t make better use of the actor chosen to play the Cowardly Lion. Many fans, especially those unfamiliar with the stage show, were thrilled to see Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion reunite to meet Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard of Oz. While the casting for the four characters was excellent – the Cowardly Lion in particular – the movie unfortunately didn’t give him enough to do.

Award-winning actor Colman Domingo, known for his recent roles in films like Rustin, Sing Sing, The Color Purple, and The Four Seasons, joined the cast of Wicked: For Good in October 2025, voicing the Cowardly Lion. However, fans were disappointed that Domingo, a two-time Academy Award nominee, only had a couple of brief lines in the movie, during a scene where the Cowardly Lion confronts Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo). Many felt the film didn’t fully utilize his impressive acting skills.

What Is the Cowardly Lion’s Story in Wicked & Wicked: For Good?

We first met the Cowardly Lion as a cub in the opening chapter of Wicked in November 2024. He was brought into Elphaba and Galinda (Ariana Grande-Butera)’s history class after Professor Dillamond (Peter Dinklage), an anthropomorphic goat, was unfairly dismissed by the villainous Professor Nikidik (Colin Michael Carmichael). The cub was trapped in a cage, which meant he might never learn to talk, upsetting Elphaba. She used her powers to create a distraction – spreading poppy dust to knock everyone unconscious – and then rescued the cub.

Elphaba and Fiyero released a young cub into the forest, hoping to give it a better life. However, this act unexpectedly created an enemy. The cub, once free and able to talk, actually grew to resent Elphaba for separating him from his original home. Later, Elphaba was accused of making the lion cowardly, with some believing he would have been braver if allowed to face challenges on his own. Regardless of the truth, Elphaba’s actions were instrumental in the creation of a famous character in both The Wizard of Oz and Wicked.

This experience was also the beginning of a strong connection with Fiyero, and it fueled Elphaba’s growing opposition to the mistreatment of animals in Oz. Had Elphaba and Fiyero not rescued the cub, she might never have become the Wicked Witch of the West. Consequently, Fiyero wouldn’t have transformed into the Scarecrow, and Boq Woodsman (Ethan Slater) wouldn’t have become the Tin Man. While Bailey and Slater had opportunities to shine in their famous The Wizard of Oz roles, Domingo’s voice performance as the Cowardly Lion was surprisingly small, which was disappointing.

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2025-11-27 18:41