Mufasa: The Lion King (2024) is Disney's latest in a long line of live-action remakes. While there has been a notable stigma about them for years, Director Barry Jenkins might give audiences a fresh take on the Pridelands' mythos. As Mufasa rises to his place as king, his scarred sibling also gets an origin story with a cinematic scale.
Disney is responsible for creating some of the most endearing and enchanting characters in cinema, but for every princess and hero on all the merchandise and promos for their respective films, there's a malicious counterpart waiting in the wings with an evil plan and a show-stopping musical number.
Disney's rogues gallery hosts some of popular culture's most iconic examples of villainy. Although there's definitely a place in our hearts for Ursula, Jafar, and Maleficent, Scar from the original Lion King often goes overlooked. Although he's easily one of the most iconic and most infamous, he's been taking a backseat for too long.
Originally brought to life by the incomparable Jeremy Irons in the 1994 animated feature, Scar was more than just your garden-variety over-the-top evil-doers like Gaston or Hades. While he definitely has a diva streak in the second act, Scar is also one of the very few Disney villains who succeeds in their evil plan.
Scar wastes no time in taking out King Mufasa. He sets the trap, lies in wait, springs on his brother, then throws him to the wildebeest stampede while traumatizing a whole generation of '90s kids. No witty banter, no hemming and hawing, he gets the job done and ties it off with a line that haunts audiences today, "Long live the king."
Viewers wouldn't see a villain this dark until Judge Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), and Scar remains one of the most recognizable fiendish figures in Disney history. However, he doesn't seem to get nearly enough appreciation. That might be about to change as Kelvin Harrison Jr. assumes the role in the upcoming 'Lion King' prequel.
Return of the King
In Disney's official trailer, Scar is reimagined as Taka, a prince to a royal bloodline whose pride adopts Mufasa as one of their own. With the knowledge of what befalls the two lions in the future, it doesn't take a genius to figure out just why Scar becomes such an iconic villain, but Disney is far from finished.
As thrilling as it is to see a new vision in what some might consider an overdone format, the new Scar might also do wonders for his original counterpart, as well as the Disney villains as a whole. The new prequel will bring Scar back to the big screen, but it also might give him a ticket to the parks as well.
As Disney prepares to open its long-awaited villain park, many famous and fearsome faces are already on the guest list. Fans can expect appearances from many of their favorite Disney villains such as Cruella, Captain Hook, and even Yzma, but (in this writer's opinion) it feels entirely incomplete without Scar.
With a Villains land in development at the time of writing and Scar set to be the last on-screen Disney villain of 2024, it stands to reason that he might soon join the rest of the gang in due course. However, Disney World might rely on the original to keep with the animated atmosphere.
Whether Mufasa is a success or not, Scar is overdue for a comeback. If Disney is willing to give him a new origin story and a fresh look, how long will it be before he rips out of the silver screen and claws his way into the parks? It just might be in the stars.
Disney fans everywhere can experience the untold story of Mufasa and Scar in Mufasa: The Lion King when it hits theaters on December 20, 2024.