Photo : Theo Wargo ( Getty Images )

While there has been an understandably exorbitant amount of focus placed on the presence of some (go ahead and insert Tiffany “New York” Pollard’s “Beyonce?!” meme here), the absence of James Earl Jones from recent Lion King promotions was not only heavily noted, but a point of concern for some fans . The 88-year-old veteran actor with the legendary booming voice that gave Mufasa (very brief) life was not only missing from the recently released promotional images, but skipped Tuesday’s world premiere. In an attempt to quell any potential distress, director Jon Favreau responded to budding health-related rumors by telling USA Today that Jones is just fine, he just...lives far away.


“He’s based on the East Coast. This is something that takes a lot out of you to do,” Favreau explained . “So his participation was geared more toward his performance.”

While it’s not every day that yo u get to reprise a 25-year-old role for an entirely different generation, a cross-country commute is a lot for anyone. And considering that he already participated in a similar promotional rigmarole for the original 1994 film, this may not spark the same sense of urgency. All in all, we get it.


[Via USA Today]