Aaron Pierre is starring as Mufasa in Disney’s live-action Mufasa: The Lion King, a role once voiced by legendary actor James Earl Jones. The film is set to release in theaters on December 20, 2024, as a prequel to the 2019 live-action remake of The Lion King. The star-studded cast is made up of Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, John Kani, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.

The story will follow Rafiki’s narration of Mufasa’s story of growing up and becoming the next King of the Pride Lands.

Pierre spoke with GamesRadar+ on the inspiration Jones’ has given him, saying, “James Earl Jones is a hero of mine, and a hero of many. 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.”

Many have commented that it will be difficult for any actor to come close to Jones’ version of his character due to his distinct voice. Jones made Mufasa the iconic character that he is today, audiences will not help but compare. However, Pierre will be portraying a younger version of Mufasa, so there will obviously be differences. Pierre also choosing to directly take inspiration from Jones is a good sign that he will do the role justice.