Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Mufasa: The Lion King!
Mufasa: The Lion Kingmay have been a prequel to the 2019 remake, but it has perfectly set up three replacements for Simba in the future ofThe Lion Kingfranchise. Simba is the main protagonist ofThe Lion Kingfranchise, and while there have been stories surrounding other characters, the majority of the lore in the series has revolved around him. However,he isn’t the only protagonist to be featured inThe Lion Kingprojects, andMufasa: The Lion Kinghas already set up three perfect replacements who could carry the franchise forward.
After the massivebox office success of 2019’s live-actionThe Lion Kingremake, it was obvious that Disney couldn’t just let the franchise sit on a shelf. Thus, it was no surprise whenMufasa: The Lion Kingwas announced, with Disney choosing to continue the live-action series with an original story.Mufasa: The Lion Kingtells the story of Mufasa’s rise from an orphan cub to the king of the Pride Lands, with the tale centering on his relationship withTaka, who would later become Scar. However, this prequel story may not be the end ofThe Lion King.
Mufasa Acts As A Simba Replacement In The Lion King’s Prequel & He Could Keep Replacing Him
If There Are More The Lion King Prequel Movies
In the originalThe Lion King, Mufasa acts as the father figure to Simba, with him being absent for half of the movie after his death. Mufasa is meant to be a figure who Simba aspires to be, not a protagonist with a character arc of his own.Mufasa: The Lion Kingchanged this, with it making Mufasa a replacement for Simba. Mufasa is the protagonist of his origin story, with him having a lesson to learn rather than being a wise, unchanging being. Mufasa has to grow from a cub to a king, with his arc paralleling that of Simba.
The Next Lion King Movie After Mufasa Should Copy A $1.2 Billion Disney Live-Action Remake Decision
Disney’s next live-action Lion King movie after Mufasa should take inspiration from another profitable series that puts its villain in the spotlight.
Now that Mufasa has been characterized a lot more than he was in the originalThe Lion Kingstory, he can continue to act as Simba’s replacement in future movies.Mufasa: The Lion Kingendswith Mufasa becoming king of the Pride Lands, although there is a lot more story to tell between the end of the prequel and the beginning ofThe Lion King. Mufasa is still incredibly young when he is crowned king, meaning that there is a lot of growing to do. Thus, anotherMufasa: The Lion Kingmovie could be made, filling in the gaps inThe Lion Kingtimeline.
The most interesting Mufasa story that could be toldstill centers on his relationship with Scar.Mufasa: The Lion Kingreveals that Mufasa and Scar’s rivalry mostly centers around their competition over Sarabi, who ends up with Simba. Although there is a rift between the duo at the end ofMufasa: The Lion King, it doesn’t seem like Scar is at the point of killing Mufasa yet. Something else had to have happened to increase Scar’s resentment of Mufasa, and anotherMufasa: The Lion Kingmovie could expand on this storyline.
Kiara Is Positioned As Simba’s Replacement In Mufasa Too
She Could Star In The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride
Another interesting option for a futureThe Lion Kingprotagonist would be Simba and Nala’s daughter, Kiara. Kiara is introduced to the live-action movies inMufasa: The Lion King.The prequel uses a framing device in which Timon, Pumbaa, and Rafiki tell a young Kiara the story of Mufasa, with the film jumping forward in the timeline as this story is being told. Kiara plays a fairly small role inMufasa: The Lion King, but now that she has been set up, she could play a massive role in the live-action series' future.
In the animatedThe Lion Kingmovies, Kiara becomes a protagonist of her own. She is the main character in the animated sequel,The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, in which she falls in love with an outsider lion named Kovu. There has been a lot of speculation about the possibility of alive-action remake ofThe Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, and after the success of the first two live-action movies, it is possible. The sequel could build off of Kiara’s introduciton inMufasa: The Lion King, finally fleshing out her animated storyline in live-action.
Simba’s New Son Is His Longterm Replacement In The Lion King Franchise
If The Lion Guard Is Adapted In Live-Action
Kiara isn’t the only lion cub introduced inMufasa: The Lion King, asSimba and Nala are shown to have another childin the film. At the end ofMufasa: The Lion King, Kiara sees that she has a brother, with Simba revealing their new son to the world. Although it hasn’t been confirmed, it is likely that this new character is Kion, a pre-existingThe Lion Kingcharacter. Kion is the protagonist of the animated TV seriesThe Lion Guard, and his story could be continued in the live-action movies as well.
There are three seasons ofThe Lion Guardas well as several movies, meaning that there are plenty of stories to tell surrounding Kion. While Kiara could act as a fine replacement for one movie, Kion would be the clear future ofThe Lion Kingfranchise. There is all kinds of potential and possibilities for stories surrounding Kion in live-action, andifThe Lion Kingis looking to replace Simba, he is the most obvious option.
Disney Can’t Forget About Telling More Of Simba’s Story With All These Replacements
In New The Lion King Sequels
Although there are several opportunities to replace him, Disney doesn’t need to forget to tell stories about Simba. After all, Simba is the protagonist ofThe Lion Kingfranchise, and the live-action series doesn’t have to stick to telling just one Simba story.Simba is involved inThe Lion King II: Simba’s Prideas well asThe Lion Guard, meaning that his role can be expanded in potential adaptations of these stories.
I Liked Mufasa, But I’m Way More Excited For The Movie Barry Jenkins Will Do Next
Though Mufasa: The Lion King was a good film, I am much more excited to see what Barry Jenkins next after the announcement of his next project.
On top of that, original stories surrounding Simba’s time afterThe Lion Kingcould be told. Running the Pride Lands isn’t easy, and a film focusing on Simba’s struggles as king would be an interesting way to carry the franchise forward.Mufasa: The Lion Kingproved that the series is interested in telling original stories, and another movie focused on Simba would be a great option for this approach.
