Lion King: Chiwetel Ejiofor Reportedly in Talks to Star as Scar

It seems Jeremy Irons won't be back for the remake.

By Alex Gilyadov

Doctor Strange star Chiwetel Ejiofor is reportedly up for a major role in The Lion King live-action remake.

TheWrap reports Ejiofor is in talks to voice Simba's evil uncle, the villainous Scar who infamously betrays Mufasa. The character was first portrayed by Jeremy Irons in the original 1994 animated classic.

Chiwetel Ejiofor in The Martian.

IGN has reached out to Disney for comment and we will update the story once we hear back.

If Ejiofor does end up voicing Scar, the actor would a join cast that includes Donald Glover as Simba, John Oliver as Zazu, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, and Billy Eichner as Timon.

The Lion King, directed by Jon Favreau, opens in theaters on July 19, 2019. For more on the remake, be sure read IGN's thoughts on the first footage of the film that was shown at this year's D23 Expo.

Alex Gilyadov is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter. 

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