Mufasa actor Aaron Pierre pays tribute to late original Lion King star James Earl Jones: "His portrayal of Mufasa was my guiding light"

Mufasa star Aaron Pierre had big shoes to fill in the Lion King prequel, as the late James Earl Jones' voice performance in the original Disney classic is nothing short of iconic.

The Rebel Ridge actor, who voices a younger version of Mufasa in the upcoming movie, took on this challenge with the utmost reverence for Jones, as he tells GamesRadar+ and Total Film in an exclusive interview.

"James Earl Jones is a hero of mine, and a hero of many," Pierre says of the legendary actor, who passed away last September.

Though Mufasa director Barry Jenkins said there was never a plan for Jones to appear in the film given its place in the timeline, his presence will always loom large over any Mufasa story.

Pierre continues: "He was one of my greatest inspirations, from his stage work to his extensive filmography, to his voice work. He's timeless. We celebrate him. We champion him. And he'll be greatly missed.

"In regards to this, his portrayal of Mufasa was my guiding light, actually. It gave me clarity. It gave me direction. It gave me insight. I think my greatest challenge was to discover the adolescent version of this Lion King who has an abundance of wisdom and understanding and perspective. What was the trajectory of that lion? How did that lion arrive at that place? That was my greatest challenge. And I'm very grateful to Barry [Jenkins] for guiding me on that journey."

Pierre calls The Lion King his "favorite Disney", and harbors strong nostalgic feelings of wearing out his VHS copy back in the day.

"I've heard a lot of people say when discussing The Lion King that Mufasa, to them, feels like everyone's dad. That was true to me as well."

Mufasa: The Lion King explores the early life and formative years of the character, who goes from being an orphaned cub to a respected king. The story will also cover the events following, after Mufasa's death and Simba's rise to power.

Some actors will be reprising their roles from 2019's The Lion King, including Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé as Nala, Seth Rogen as Pumba, Billy Eichner as Timon, and John Kani as Rafiki.

Alongside Aaron Pierre as Mufasa, newcomers include Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka, Tiffany Boone as Sarabi, Kagiso Lediga as Young Rafiki, Preston Nymon as Zazu, Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, Thandiwe Newton as Taka's mother, Lennie James as Taka's father, Ankia Noni Rose as Mufasa's father, and Beyoncé's daughter Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara, daughter of Nala and Simba.

Mufasa: The Lion King arrives on December 20, 2024. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Disney movies for everything else the studio has in store.