The following contains spoilers for Mufasa: The Lion King, now playing in theatersMufasa: The Lion Kingsets the stage for a potential adaptation ofThe Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, but the ending of the new film means any remake of that sequel would be very different.Mufasa: The Lion Kingestablishes the future of the Pridelands after the events ofThe Lion King. While most of the film is centered on Simba’s father in his youth, theending ofMufasa: The Lion Kingreintroduces audiences the state of the Pridelands in the years following 2019’s remake ofThe Lion King. This includes a formal introduction to Simba and Nala’s daughter, Kiara.
That focus on Kiara could be seen as a tease forThe Lion King’s future on the big-screen, as she was the central character inThe Lion King II: Simba’s Pride. This makes it one of the potentialsequels set up byMufasa: The Lion King, exploring the further fallout of Scar’s fall and the challenges faced by both Simba and Kiara. However, one aspect ofMufasa’s ending introduces a major wrinkle to that possible sequel, as it establishes a character who was absent fromLion King IIbut would likely be an important figure in any follow-up toMufasa.
Simba & Nala’s Son Being Born In Mufasa Sets Up A Role In The Lion King 2
The Son Of Simba Will Likely Be Important To AnyMufasa: The Lion KingSequel
A prospective adaptation ofThe Lion King II: Simba’s Pridewould need to featureSimba and Nala’s sonfrom the ending ofMufasa: The Lion King, which could have a domino effect on the adaptation given his absence from the original film.Mufasa: The Lion King’s framing device follows Simba and Nala’s daughter Kiara as she learns the story of her grandfather from Rafiki. This is eventually revealed to be because Nala is giving birth to a son.The ending ofMufasa: The Lion Kingsets the stage for Kiara to be a dedicated older sister to her new sibling.
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It’s an interesting turn, especially in light of the feud that steadily grew between Mufasa and his adopted brother Taka. This also means the son would likely play an important role in any prospective follow-up toMufasa: The Lion King. AlthoughMufasa: The Lion Kingexplored ideas of royal lineage being unnecessary for worthy nobility,the focus on Simba’s family would likely be a key element of any follow-up. However, this would also introduce plenty of new elements to any possible remake ofThe Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, given that Kiara actually had no sibling in the original film.
Simba & Nala’s Son Was Completely Absent From The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride
Kion Wasn’t Created Until AfterThe Lion King II: Simba’s Pride
The Lion King II: Simba’s Pridefocused largely on Kiaraand highlighted her attempts to reunite the lions of the Pridelands with the remaining Scar loyalists. Known as the Outsiders,Mufasa: The Lion Kingmay have already lain the groundwork for their role in any prospective new films. Notably, Kiara was the only child of Simba and Nala in that film, playing into the film’s approach to Simba as a well-meaning but overbearing parent. Simba was protective of Kiara to a fault, to the point where his mistrust of the young Outsider lion Kovu risked reigniting conflict in the Pridelands.
Simba and Nala’s son wouldn’t become an established concept until years afterThe Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.
Simba and Nala’s son wouldn’t become an established concept until years afterThe Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.Kion was the central focus ofThe Lion Guard, a Disney Junior television series that retroactively filled in the gaps ofThe Lion King IIand gave Simba’s son a prominent role in protecting the Pridelands as the leader of the titular group. The popularity of the animated show explains the presence of Kion at the conclusion ofMufasa: The Lion Kingand sets the stage for the character to play a more important role in follow-ups toMufasa: The Lion King.
How Simba & Nala’s Son Being In The Lion King 2 Would Change Simba’s Pride’s Story
A New Version OfThe Lion King IIWould Likely Make Kion Into A Major Character
The plot toThe Lion King II: Simba’s Pridedoes work within the context ofThe Lion Guard, which included cameos by Kiara, Kovu, and other major characters fromThe Lion King II. However, his existence would likely add new layers to the potential conflict between the lions of the Pridelands and the Outsiders. The threat posed to Kion by Zira could give Simba and Kiara more reason to doubt Kovu’s intentions. This could give Simba greater justification to fear the Outsiders, especially if Kovu’s head-strong personality fromThe Lion Guardgets himself and his friends involved in the conflict.
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WhileThe Lion Guardintroduced elements like the supernatural Roar that have been ignored by other versions ofThe Lion King, Kion could try to be a protector of the Pridelands and be suspicious of Kovu’s intentions for his sister. The potential film could incorporate Kion’s rivalry with Kovy’s sister Vitani fromThe Lion Guard.Kion could even find himself targeted by members of Kovu’s family, setting up a more dramatic version of Kovu’s decision to forsake his own clan to help save Kiara’s clan. This could make Kion an important figure in an adaptation ofThe Lion King II.
Will A Live-Action Version Of The Lion King 2 Happen?
The Lion King II: Simba’s PrideWould Be A Perfect Place To Take The Franchise Forward
The Lion King II: Simba’s Prideremains a fan-favorite of Walt Disney Animation’s direct-to-video sequels, making it an ideal story to adapt for any prospective follow-ups toMufasa: The Lion King. The fresh characters and different perspective on established heroes like Simba could give that film a compelling edge, withcharacters like Kion giving it enough potential new directions to explore to justify a feature-length expansion. However, no sequel toMufasa: The Lion Kinghas been announced at the time of this writing, andthe mixed receptionto the film may prevent a sequel from seeing the light of day.
BeforeMufasa: The Lion King, the most recent sequel to a modern Disney remake wasMaleficent: Mistress of Evilin 2019. Given thatThe Lion Kingalso debuted in 2019, it may be some time before audiences see a follow-up toMufasa: The Lion Kingeven if there ever is one.The addition of Kion to any potential sequel is an interesting prospect though, as it could force the filmmakers to diverge more seriously from the source material than other remakes. If there is a sequel toMufasa: The Lion King, thenLion King II: Simba’s Pridemight be ideal.
Cast
Mufasa: The Lion King explores the origins of the beloved character Mufasa, focusing on his youth as a lost cub who encounters Taka, a royal heir. Their meeting initiates an epic journey of self-discovery and destiny, featuring a group of misfit companions navigating the challenges of their world.
