'Wicked: For Good' ruins its own secret about the Cowardly Lion's casting with cute announcement

Colman Domingo volition spot you successful Oz.

The Oscar-nominated histrion has been tapped to dependable the Cowardly Lion successful “Wicked: For Good.” The announcement was made Monday successful a abbreviated clip shared by some the movie’s and Domingo’s Instagram accounts, which amusement the Emmy victor hiding down an adorable lion plush earlier the reveal.

In an interrogation published past week successful Deadline, “Wicked: For Good” manager Jon M. Chu played coy astir the individuality of who he’d formed for the portion successful the 2nd installment of his philharmonic adaptation.

“Man, hold until the reddish carpet erstwhile the histrion who gave america the Cowardly Lion’s dependable steps ft connected it,” helium said to tease the then-secret casting. “It’ll beryllium wild.”

He did, however, uncover that helium approached the “celebrated actor” — who we present cognize is Domingo — by sliding into his DMs.

“I was like, ‘It’s not a ton of lines, but possibly you person a small time. I cognize you’re busy. I’ll travel to you,’” Chu said astir their speech connected Instagram. “He was like, ‘Why the f— not, let’s go!’ And past we went up and recorded the lines.”

Famously 1 of Dorothy’s traveling companions successful L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and its assorted adaptations, the Cowardly Lion is introduced successful “Wicked” arsenic a caged young cub that is brought to Shiz by a caller prof aft the schoolhouse bars each animals from teaching classes. An enraged Elphaba helps the lion cub escape. “Wicked: For Good,” which is acceptable years aft the events of the archetypal film, volition spot that cub each grown up.

“Wicked: For Good” stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande erstwhile again arsenic Elphaba Thropp and Glinda Upland, respectively, astatine a clip erstwhile they are known arsenic the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. Also returning from “Wicked” are Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), Jeff Goldblum (The Wizard), Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible), Ethan Slater (Boq) and Marissa Bode (Nessarose).

The movie volition deed theaters Nov. 21.