The demise of Mufasa in Disney's classic "The Lion King" (1994) is etched in the memories of many as a poignant moment in cinematic history. The scene where Scar, with a mocking farewell—"Long live the king"—pushes his sibling off a precipice, left viewers, much like the innocent Simba, under the impression that they had witnessed the final act of the charismatic ruler of the Pride Lands.

However, the narrative takes a new turn in "Mufasa: The Lion King," a prequel that chronicles Mufasa's life from a young cub to a majestic adult. The complex bond between Mufasa and Scar, originally portrayed with such brilliance by James Earl Jones and Jeremy Ironst. The vast African savannah and the graceful movements of its wildlife are reimagined with state-of-the-art CGI technology.

In this prequel to Jon Favreau's 2019 live-action adaptation, Mufasa (voiced by Aaron Pierre) is depicted as an orphaned cub who finds a brother in Taka (later known as Scar, voiced by Kelvin Harrison Jr.). United by their desire for familial closeness in a sometimes harsh animal kingdom, Taka and Mufasa embark on a journey to establish their own pride. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins, known for "Moonlight" and "If Beale Street Could Talk," this latest chapter in the franchise not only follows the films but also the globally renowned stage musical. Jenkins expressed the significance of "The Lion King" in Western culture, stating that for many, it serves as "their first or their primary connection to the continent of Africa." He acknowledged the immense responsibility that came with telling a story that embodies "the voice of the continent."

In "Mufasa," the character of Rafiki embodies this voice most vividly—the wise mandrill whose guidance spans generations of lions in the Pride Lands. Rafiki assumes the role of the storyteller in a film that begins in the aftermath of "The Lion King," then rewinds in time. The younger Rafiki is portrayed by South African actor Kagiso Lediga, who views his character as a wellspring of wisdom drawn from across Africa. "Rafiki is a traveler," Lediga explained, "this kind of pan-Africanist figure." He continued, "As you're portraying him, you wonder: 'Is Rafiki Swahili? Does he hail from Kenya, is he from the Serengeti?' Yet, I'm a Tswana man who speaks Sepedi, with a touch of Zulu and Xhosa in me." John Kani, at 81, plays the older Rafiki in the new film. "I've always seen Rafiki as the guardian of the culture," he said, "A historian. Anyone in the village could ask, 'What happened to Scar? What happened to that?' and everyone would say, 'Go to the elder Rafiki; he will tell you.'"

Rafiki is aging in an Africa that is rapidly evolving for its real-life human inhabitants, who are increasingly migrating to urban centers. "The challenge of Africa today," Kani remarked, "is the absence of grandparents in the upbringing of children in the village. As we move to big cities, outside villages, to other countries, when the children return, they can't even speak the indigenous languages. Grandparents have to seek an interpreter to tell them of their origins, their stories, where they come from." It is through sharing and listening to these stories, Kani believes, that one can "stand tall as an African." The multilingual Rafiki is emblematic of Jenkins' film, with Zulu and Swahili interspersed throughout the dialogue. This linguistic richness, Lediga attributes to Jenkins granting him "permission" to speak freely and improvise. Kani also spoke of the creative autonomy that Jenkins afforded him.

"There's an entire scene in this movie that we created on the spot," Jenkins revealed, "And it could only have emerged from John Kani sharing his experiences on the continent. So, I truly believe that being open to the actors driving the process in a certain way, especially the actors from the African continent—because I do not live there, I do not know the place as well as them … really expanded the film significantly."