The first image from Mufasa: The Lion King has been revealed, and it contains a worrying clue about Mufasa’s story. The upcoming 2024 movie is a prequel and sequel in one, continuing the story and format of the 2019 CGI-rendered adaptation of The Lion King. Mufasa: The Lion King isn’t due to hit theaters until December, so there are still few public details regarding the plot. However, the sneak peek image of a young Mufasa comes with several hints about what the Pride Lands looked like prior to Simba’s story—but this may be a problem.
Mufasa: The Lion King, directed by Academy Award-winning Berry Jenkins, will dive into Mufasa’s backstory, with the young version of his character being voiced by Aaron Pierre. Naturally, this means that his evil brother, Scar (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), will also be involved, and the film’s plot is sure to explore the dissolution of their relationship. John Kani’s Rafiki is meant to serve as the narrator for this story, telling Timon, Pumba, and cub Kiara (Simba and Nala’s daughter) all about Mufasa’s past. Mufasa: The Lion King’s image provides the first idea of what this will look like.
The Mufasa: The Lion King image shows a young Mufasa standing before a dry and barren backdrop. It looks highly similar to the version of the Pride Lands that Simba returned to as an adult in The Lion King when Scar’s greed resulted in an imbalance in the circle of life. Since the home of these lions had been a paradise when Mufasa was king and Simba was young, it’s surprising to see that this might not have been the case when the great king was still a cup. In all, this begs several questions about the sorts of trials and tribulations Mufasa and Scar faced while growing up.
It’s interesting to think that Mufasa himself was responsible for turning things around in the Pride Lands and that Scar inherently reverted the place back to the grim and desolate place it had been when they were children. Additionally, this presents some questions about who Mufasa’s parent had been—what kind of leader were they if their sons were so at odds and the Pride Lands themselves were in such disarray? Mufasa: The Lion King is sure to answer the questions this teaser image has presented. However, this first look at the Pride Lands seems to reinforce some common concerns about the prequel.
A significant worry going into Mufasa: The Lion King is that the movie will be too similar to Simba’s story. Since the upcoming film will explore Mufasa’s childhood, then it will be a tale about a young lion cup learning how to be a good king—precisely what The Lion King is about. Sure, the prequel story will include Mufasa’s villainous brother, but since Scar serves as the antagonist of Simba’s story, there are still too many common denominators here. Now, Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King image does nothing to ease the concern that the upcoming movie will just be a repeat of the same old story.
The Lion King already demonstrated what a delicate balance the circle of life is. When Scar became king, he had no respect for the animals he hunted. Mufasa, on the other hand, taught Simba that just as animals like antelope served as their food, their bodies would one day become nutrients to the grass, thus feeding their prey. Simba didn’t understand this until he saw what Scar’s recklessness and disrepect did to the Pride Lands. It seems as if Mufasa: The Lion King will repeat this same lesson with Mufasa, but it would be far less impactful for audiences to observe this time around.
Of course, Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King image isn’t enough reason to give up on the movie altogether. Without context, we can’t know for sure what is happening at the Pride Lands during Mufasa’s childhood. Perhaps the still simply shows the cub discovering the dark lands for the first time, or maybe the dry, desolate location is the Pride Lands before Mufasa’s family took up residence there and turned things around. Even if the film is repeating the circle of life lesson, it’s possible that this is only a tiny moment in an otherwise larger concept that differs entirely from The Lion King.
Though there is a lot to be worried about regarding Mufasa: The Lion King, the fact that it is being helmed by Jenkins should be enough to calm skeptics. The man behind movies like If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) and Moonlight (2016) has proven that he is full of excellent ideas, and with the legacy of The Lion King on the line, he is sure to take his job seriously. Jenkins has a special talent for creating movies that are heavy with artfully conveyed emotion, and it’s difficult to imagine that Mufasa: The Lion King would be any different.