Jenkins made it clear that it was important for his movie to pay homage to the late actor during a conversation with Variety. He specifically noted that it was in part because Jon

The Lion King” begins with the voice of James Earl Jones, followed by a title card that reads, “In Remembrance.” Jones, who died in September at 93 years old, originated the voice of King Mufasa in the 1994 Oscar-winning animated feature "The Lion King,

The original Mufasa actor did not record new material before he died, but the film itself honors the late actor.