Mufasa With an Angry Face in The Lion King 1994 Movie
By
Andrew Dyce
Published 19 minutes ago
Andrew Dyce is the Deputy Editor for ScreenRant's coverage of Marvel, DC, and all other comics. Whether superheroes, sci-fi, fantasy, or any other genre, Andrew's decade in the industry and countless hours of analysis on podcasts like the Screen Rant Underground, Total Geekall, The Rings of Power Podcast, Batman v Superman: By The Minute, and more has left its mark.
With over a decade spent at GameRant and ScreenRant, Andrew has made himself known as an outspoken fan and critic of film, television, video games, comics, and more.
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When fans learned that a new prequel to The Lion King would finally tell more of the story between King Mufasa and his son, it warmed their hearts. But now that a darker piece of the Pride's history has finally been exposed, it is guaranteed to change how audiences understand the Disney classic, and Simba's turn to violence, forever.
The Lion King's New Prequel Reveals How Mufasa Brought Peace To The Pride Lands
A New Villain is Created, Who Faced Mufasa Long Before Scar
Leopards Commit Treason in The Lion King Comic
The next chapter of The Lion King is officially under way, with the new comic series from Edwin Galmon taking place alongside the events of the original 1994 movie. But in the first issue alone, a new threat demands attention from Mufasa that reveals years of history and struggle in the Pride Lands, and the emergence of a new rival to threaten the entire Circle of Life. The Pride Lands may be peaceful when the original movie begins, but that is only because Mufasa previously faced, banished, and now exclude the Leopards from his territory.
This new plotline in Mufasa's reign is revealed now that the Leopards appear to be threatening the boundary between the Pride Lands, and the Back Lands to which they were exiled. Rather than a rough peace, this is described as a formal punishment for their crimes against nature and the Circle of Life itself, having "poached life more than needed" from the prey animals of the Pride Lands.
Zebra and Leopards Bow To Mufasa in The Lion King Comic
While the matter was decided by Mufasa, it is far from settled. At least according to the leader of the Leopards, a still unnamed rival to Mufasa who claims the king a hypocrite. The crime challenged the balance, they claim, but Mufasa's rule has now broken it completely.
The New Lion/Leopard War Rewrites Mufasa's Character in The Lion King
A Violent or Brutal Past for Mufasa Changes Simba's Story, Too
Mufasa smiling down at Simba in The Lion King
Considering the age of the target audience when The Lion King was released, there was little need to dig too deeply into the politics, or above all justice system of the Pride Lands. But as that audience has now aged into adulthood, and with this new series intended to be read by families together, this new wrinkle is a powerful one. While leopards and lions can coexist, but compete in the wild, the decision to formally banish the Leopards (like the Hyenas) implies the Circle of Life may not be as simple or straightforward as Mufasa implies to his son.
The story invites readers to question the morality of Mufasa's rule from the outset, but also leaves the identity of this leader (and their own personal history with Mufasa) a mystery for now. Did Mufasa's judgement and banishment apply to them directly? Was the ruling accepted peacefully, or was the exile imposed through force (even violence)? The only thing known for certain is the Leopards' potential as a prime ally for Scar, assuming he is looking to threaten Mufasa's reign with more than one ongoing scheme.
Leopard Accuses Mufasa of Hypocrisy in The Lion King Comic
How much a reader, or the story to come, will more deeply examine the Lions and Leopards' inability to coexist peacefully is not yet clear. But no matter what, the idea of just what it means for Mufasa to 'keep the peace,' and Simba's own need to use force to regain it, make permanent changes to their original story. Here's hoping the rest of this series follows through on the first issue's potential.
The Lion Kiing #1 is available now from Dynamite Comics.
46
9.4/10
The Lion King
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed G Family Animation Drama Adventure Release Date June 15, 1994 Runtime 89 minutes Director Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff Writers Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, Linda Woolverton, Rick Maki, Jorgen Klubien, Chris Sanders, Joe Ranft, Thom Enriquez, Larry Leker, Barry Johnson, Francis Glebas, Burny Mattinson, Andrew Gaskill, Gary Trousdale, Lorna Cook, Tom Sito, Mark Kausler, Kevin Harkey, Ed Gombert, Jim Capobianco Producers Don HahnCast
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Matthew Broderick
Simba (voice)
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Moira Kelly
Nala (voice)
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