The new trailer for Disney’s live-action version of The Lion King debuted to much fanfare on Wednesday, but not everyone is pleased.
Namely, fans who were looking forward to seeing how evil, scary, and menacing Scar would be in the new film are expressing disappointment over his mangy, malnourished appearance.
Hundreds have taken to social media to complain that live-action Scar isn’t nearly compelling as he was in the 1994 animated movie based on his brief appearance in the new preview clip.
Out now: Disney unveiled a new trailer for the live-action version of The Lion King this week
Bad guy: Scar (voiced by Chiwetel Ejiofor) opens the trailer with the words: ‘Life’s not fair is it my little friend. Others spend their lives in the dark begging for scraps’
A real lion: The malevolent uncle has surprised some fans by looking quite different than in the animated film
Scar, voiced by Chiwetel Ejiofor, is only seen briefly in the two-minute trailer, which opens with his voiceover.
‘Life’s not fair, is it my little friend? While some are born to feast, others spend their lives in the dark begging for scraps,’ he says.
The camera shows Scar speaking to Simba in cave as the hyenas congregate around him.
Yet even that quick glimpse — and another shorter one even later in the trailer — has given fans a distinct impression. And some are not impressed.
‘Animated Scar is rolling in his animated grave after seeing his live-action counterpart,’ wrote one.
‘They got scar looking like he eat hot cheetos in the morning,’ quipped another.
Epic: The opening scene in the trailer shows Scar talking to Simba (pictured, voiced by Donald Glover)
Drawn: The characters, rendered in CGI, naturally look quite different than they did in the 1994 movie
‘I’ve seen the Lion King trailer. S*** is pure Mufasa propaganda. They had Scar looking dry and malnutritioned, like that man wasn’t a bad b*** in the animated movie,’ yet another wrote.
‘His hairline will be the most tragic part of the movie,’ joked one fan.
Some commented with humor on Scar’s charisma in the animated version, saying the CGI lion here has none of it.
‘Just watched the trailer for the lion king and am disgusted to find that scar isn’t sexy, goth, or gay. just an ugly lion! what’s the point,’ wrote one.
‘Live-action Scar is not wickedly sexy like the original Lion King cartoon babe was, so i’m out,’ wrote another.
Most of the complaints seem to be that Scar, the evil villain who kills Mufasa and takes over the animal kingdom, looks neither menacing nor powerful.
How’s that scary? Fans are expressing disappointment with Scar in particular on Twitter, saying he looks mangy and malnourished
But others seem to be taking more issue with the fact that this live-action version can’t deliver the same theatrics as the original.
‘I’m all for the lion king remake, (mostly because of Donald Glover), but these two pictures highlight how having live action cartoon characters restricts the portrayal of emotion,’ wrote a passionate fan, sharing a side-by-side comparison of both versions of Scar.
‘Like apart from the scar, he just looks like all the other lions in the trailer,’ the fan went on. “How am I supposed to tell them apart or connect with them. Animation allows for more exaggerated facial expressions which distinguishes them from one another and is why we connect with them.’
‘Tbh the new Lion King trailer just looks so devoid of personality,’ another agreed. ‘In the Jungle Book the animals had some unique traits in their designs, here they just look so generic. I barely recognized Zazu and mistook Scar for Mufasa for fuck’s sake.’
That’s right! Some people, though, are pointing out that this version is more accurate
While the critics were vocal, however, not everyone is upset about Scar in the remake. In fact, several have pointed out that this starved, sickly looking Scar is more scientifically accurate.
‘It’s factually accurate though,’ explained one. ‘Lions with longer and darker manes are the dominant males in a pride. Shorter, lighter manes indicate either young lions, or the non-dominant male.
‘Scar is supposed to look weak and thinner compared to Mufasa,’ wrote another Also canonically he and Mufasa fought in the past hence his scars.’
‘Actual Scar quote “…when it come to brains, I got the lion share but when it comes to brute strength, I’m afraid I’m at the shallow end of the gene pool,”‘ wrote one more. ‘Why are y’all surprised that he looks mangy.’