Voiced by actress Gabrielle Union, Nala reprises her role as Queen of the Pride Lands in the television series "The Lion Guard", the 2016 premiere of which was preceded by the made-for-television film "" (2015). Set within the time gap in "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride", the show revolves around Nala and Simba's son Kion who, being their second-born cub after Kiara, has been tasked with forming the next Lion Guard, a group responsible for protecting the Pride Lands. By the end of season 3, Nala also gains Rani as her daughter-in-law after she marries Kion, who is becoming the king of the Tree of Life and retired as the leader of the Lion Guard. Although a fan of the "Lion King" franchise, Union avoided watching previous "Lion King" films in preparation for the role because she wanted to "put own stamp" on the character.