Meryl Streep will voice Aslan in Greta Gerwig's Narnia film for Netflix. Inspired reinterpretation, or changing a character that was never meant to change?
Gerwig said she wanted someone who could bring "depth and pathos" and "fresh wonder, like a child." Some fans and Christian commentators call recasting C.S. Lewis's Christ-coded lion a betrayal of the source; others point to Gerwig's track record. The Magician's Nephew, also starring Emma Mackey and Carey Mulligan, hits theaters in February before moving to Netflix.
What happened
Gerwig confirmed on Sept 18-19 that Meryl Streep will voice Aslan in her Narnia film "The Magician's Nephew" (theaters February, then Netflix), explaining she wanted an actor over 70 with "profound but not pretentious" gravitas and "fresh wonder, like a child" — citing David Bowie, Paul McCartney and David Gilmour as inspirations for the lion's visual design.
Why people disagree
Critics, many pointing to Aslan's traditional reading as a Christ figure in Lewis's Christian allegory, call the gender-swap disrespectful to the source material. Supporters point to Gerwig's track record (Barbie, Little Women) and argue adaptations regularly reinterpret characters for new audiences and mediums.
What's still unclear
How the casting will actually land once audiences see the film, given Aslan is voice-only and the visual redesign — a Bowie-inspired coat and heterochromic eyes — is also a major departure from prior adaptations.
Sources
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