Disney's The Lion King Remake: Casting All 10 Major Roles

No matter what character she plays or what type of movie she appears in - be it Suicide Squad or The Help - Viola Davis practically oozes authority.

And Sarabi - Simba's mother - could do with a sizeable helping of that. While her role isn't huge, she has a key moment toward the end of The Lion King wherein she faces up to Scar and criticizes him for his poor leadership. It takes real guts and real passion to show that amount of bravery and stand up to the fledgling king and his entourage of hyenas, and Davis could bring these qualities to the role with ease - she'd practically be playing herself!

Chances Of It Happening

Whenever you think 'mother figure' it's hard not to think of Viola Davis, so there's a good chance that Favreau and his casting team are doing the same. In terms of scheduling, she doesn't have much on her plate (barring any as-yet unannounced DC roles or Suicide Squad sequels) and with a potentially Oscar-winning turn in the upcoming Fences still to come, capitalizing on that buzz seems smart.