Summary
Mufasa: The Lion Kinghas retconned the relationship between Mufasa and Scar, but this doesn’t quite work with a line from the original movie. The upcoming CGI-animated film will serve as a prequel to the 2019The Lion Kingmovie, which was based, in turn, on the 1994 animated classic.Mufasa: The Lion Kingaims to provide further context to the contentious relationship between royal brothers Mufasa and Scar. The film will surely come with many surprises that retroactively change everything, and the trailer alone has already dropped a pretty big one.
Thetrailer forMufasa: The Lion Kingrevealed thatMufasa had been a lost orphan, taken in by the royal family at the urging of a young Scar—named Taka at the time. This is a pretty massive retcon since it means that Mufasa and Scar were never really biological brothers. The fact that little Taka had once been so desperate for a brother and kind enough to take Mufasa in is absolutely heartbreaking and will surely mean an excellent story in theLion Kingprequel. However, such a significant change will always cause continuity issues, especially regarding the original story.
Mufasa: The Lion King - Everything You Need To Know
A prequel to The Lion King about the life of Mufasa arrived following 2019’s live-action remake. Here’s all the Mufasa: The Lion King info to know.
Scar’s “Shallow End Of The Gene Pool” Quote No Longer Makes Sense
Mufasa: The Lion King’s Changes Don’t Work Well With 1994’s The Lion King
There was certainly no indication in the original 1994The Lion Kingthat Mufasa and Scar weren’t brothers. Of course, there was also never any definitive proof that theywerebiologically related, which is whyMufasa: The Lion Kingcan get away with changing the canon story. Still, there was one line in particular, spoken by Scar, that strongly indicated that he was Mufasa’s brother:
“Well, as far as brains go, I got the lion’s share. But, when it comes to brute strength…I’m afraid I’m at the shallow end of the gene pool.”
Scar’s comment about being at the “shallow end of the gene pool” certainly implies that he and Mufasa were born in the same “pool,” as it were, thuscontradictingMufasa: The Lion King’s idea that they aren’t biologically related. Scar admits here that Mufasa inherited the royal family’s physical strength, which meant he had no chance of challenging the king. It seems that Disney knew this didn’t make sense with their new prequel idea, so Scar’s line was subtly changed in the2019 CGI remake ofThe Lion King.
The Lion King Remake Changed Scar’s Gene-Pool Line
2019’s The Lion King Subtly Set Up The Prequel’s Retcon
2019’sThe Lion Kingwas nearly a line-by-line remake of the 1994 original, but there were some subtle differences. A prime example is Scar’s gene-pool line, which waschanged to say “When it comes to brute strength…I’m afraid my big brother will always rule.“This was a negligible adjustment at the time, barely even worth notice. However, now thatMufasa:The Lion Kinghas changed the nature of Mufasa and Scar’s relationship, this line indicates that Disney already planned to make a prequel retconning the royal brotherhood.
Now that Mufasa: The Lion King has changed the nature of Mufasa and Scar’s relationship, this line indicates that Disney already planned to make a prequel retconning the royal brotherhood.
Of course, Scar still refers to Mufasa as a brother in this line, but by leaving out any mention of genes or biology, his wording is far more flexible. It’s also interesting to consider the villainous character’s emphasis on the words “big brother.” Back in 2019, it only seemed that Scar emphasized Mufasa’s position as the older and larger brother. Following theMufasa: The Lion Kingtrailer, however, it feels more likehe is sarcastically reminding Mufasa that he isn’t really his big brother at all.
Mufasa: The Lion King’s Big Reveal Also Changes Another Lion King Line
Disney Clearly Knew What It Was Doing
In the same scene in which Scar mentions Mufasa’s brute strength in the 2019The Lion King, there is another line that feels entirely changed byMufasa: The Lion King’s retcon. After Zazu reminds Scar that he should have been first in line for Simba’s ceremony, the villain says, “I was first in line.Or don’t you remember? That is until the precious prince arrived.“It’s initially implied that Scar is talking about Simbasince he was first in line to become king after Mufasa until the cub was born. However,it retroactively seems like Scar is referencing his place as heir before Mufasa arrived.
Once again, this line was changed from1994’sThe Lion King. During that same moment in the animated version, Scar says, “I was first in line until the little hairball was born,” to which Mufasa replies that the “hairball” is his son. In this version, there’s no doubt that Scar is referring to the newly-born prince. Disney’s adjustment to this line made it far more ambiguous, allowing the 2019 remake to subtly foreshadow the big reveal ofMufasa: The Lion King. Ultimately, it appears that the House of Mouse knew that its Scar and Mufasa retcon didn’t work with the originalThe Lion King, but it did the work to make it cohesive with the remake.
Mufasa: The Lion King
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.
