Meryl Streep is voicing Aslan the lion in director Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew,” and the casting has drawn criticism from conservative Christian commentators who say the character should remain male, according to The Associated Press.
Aslan has long been read as a literary stand-in for Jesus Christ in C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books, where the character is described as male with a glorious mane and leads young followers against evil. The casting of Streep, a woman, in the voice role has reignited debate over how faithfully the Netflix project should hew to Lewis’s original depiction.
The Netflix Narnia Casting Decision
Gerwig is directing the film adaptation of “The Magician’s Nephew,” the Lewis novel published in 1955 that tells the story of two children, Digory and Polly, who travel through parallel worlds and arrive in the newly created land of Narnia. The Narnia series has sold a reported 120 million books worldwide since its first volume was published, according to the AP.
Streep’s casting as Aslan is the character change confirmed by the available reporting. The sources do not detail how Gerwig plans to handle Aslan’s gender presentation visually, beyond the voice casting itself.
Why Fans And Critics Are Weighing In
Kat Coffin, a New York-based writer and Lewis scholar, pushed back on the backlash in comments to the AP. “I am far more disturbed by the people who are violently opposed and angry at the idea that the incarnation of God could be anything even hinted toward feminine,” Coffin said.
Christin Ditchfield Lazo, an author of books on Lewis, told the AP she understands the worry among longtime fans of the books. “I know a lot of people who are genuinely concerned, because the original stories mean so much to them,” Lazo said. “The Narnia series has had a profound impact on the lives of millions of people, especially people of faith, who love the spiritual truths in these stories and want them to be faithfully represented.”
Baehr, who led a company that produced a 1979 animated television version of another Narnia book, offered a blunter assessment of the stakes for the studio. “This movie could do very well, but the better it does, there’s a lot of Christians who will be concerned for their children and grandchildren,” Baehr said.
Lewis’s Original Intent And Studio Response
Lewis himself said the Narnia books are not allegories, though scholars and readers have long noted they closely parallel biblical stories and concepts. In the books, Aslan also appears in a gentler form as a lamb with a sweet, milky voice, a detail some commentators have pointed to in discussing the character’s range beyond a single fixed image.
The C.S. Lewis Co., which holds the intellectual property rights to Lewis’s work and is producing the film, defended the production in a statement to the AP. “We saw this enthusiasm during our visit to the set in London,” the company said. “We are thrilled to be working with such a talented and accomplished director and production team, and are keen to continue working with them on future projects.”
The family of Joy Davidman Gresham also issued a statement praising Gerwig’s work on the project. “It’s incredibly moving to see how deeply Greta Gerwig has embraced C.S. Lewis’ world, and infused ‘Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew’ with joy, heart, and genuine love for the story,” the family said.
What Comes Next
No release date or additional casting details beyond Streep’s role as Aslan have been confirmed in current reporting. The C.S. Lewis Co.’s statement that it visited the London set indicates production is underway, though further details on timeline and additional cast members have not been reported.
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