by Panpardus » February 27th, 2017, 9:50 am
Not a WWE fan, but I've seen these three in the 'ring' and they work together pretty well as a comedic and semi-serious unit. They'd definitely work as lower-tier goofball villains (I actually think it wouldn't hurt to add another character to the main hyena group just to get all three in; heck, they have better chemistry than the current actors who play Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu) though I agree that Shenzi still needs to be played by a woman to preserve the matriarchal role amongst the hyenas.
Issa Rae (of her web series Awkward Black Girl turned HBO satirical comedy Insecure) might be a good choice; she plays 'serious' comedic roles in her shows (which are all based off of her own life) where she's usually the straight woman dealing with the antics going on around her, though she's not exactly immune to occasional slips into goofball territory herself.
Alternatively, Jessica Williams (former The Daily Show correspondent) could be cool too, though I haven't really seen her full acting chops in a more serious role. I can see her working out well if Shenzi's portrayal stays more on the lighter side, though if she's written specifically to offset the silliness of her male clan mates, they might make her more serious and level-headed, in which case I'd prefer Issa Rae.