Ernie Sabella himself has a theory about that: a generational shift.

"I can understand why [director Jon] Favreau went this route," Sabella told The Huffington Post in 2017, shortly after the casting announcement was made. "I'm going to be 70 in a few years and Seth is 35. And just like they did with their new live-action versions of 'Cinderella,' 'The Jungle Book' and 'Beauty and the Beast,' Disney's looking to reinvent these movies for a hip, new, younger audience. So, I get it. I'm just hoping that Jon offers me a cameo."

But there was no cameo. Sabella, a Broadway star and noted character actor, wasn't involved in the 2019 "Lion King" at all.

It's worth noting here that a literal generation has passed since the original "Lion King" was released in 1994. The original and its 2019 remake were released a quarter of a century apart. Voices may not change as much as faces do, but still, it would be incredible to imagine an actor reprising their own role in a film remake.

And so it was in "The Lion King" — none of the original stars returned except for James Earl Jones (because, really, who else could voice Mufasa?).

At the same time, Sabella offered hope in the interview for fans of his take on the character, saying, "Let me be clear here: I am not handing the character of Pumbaa off to Seth Rogen. I am just letting him borrow it for a while."

For Sabella, it wasn't just a job he did 27 years ago. He's been reprising the role in a range of spinoff properties ever since, including two full TV series, multiple film sequels and even a bunch of short public-service announcements.

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