The film's plot reimagines Mufasa not as a born royal but as an orphaned outsider cub adopted into Taka's (Scar's) family, rising to kingship via a 'popular vote' among the pride rather than divine right or birthright, injecting a victimhood-to-victory arc that panders to modern anti-privilege sentiments and undermines the original's mythic emphasis on the Circle of Life and inherited responsibility. This change drives much of the storytelling, turning the epic into a misfits' journey with found family dynamics.

Casting amplifies identity politics: predominantly Black actors voice the heroic tawny lions (Aaron Pierre as Mufasa, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka, Tiffany Boone as Sarabi), while the pale-skinned invading villains led by Mads Mikkelsen's Kiros evoke colonialist tropes, with white lions as conquerors contrasting 'authentic' African lions—a visual metaphor ripe for systemic oppression readings. Director Barry Jenkins, with his background in identity-focused films like Moonlight, complicates legacy themes, but no overt lectures occur. Audience reception shows mixed results (low critic scores, decent audience), with backlash labeling it 'woke' for these canon breaks and racial coding, contributing to underwhelming box office; however, the adventure plot and animation prevent full domination by messaging, keeping it from higher scores.