Meryl Streep’s potential casting as Aslan in Greta Gerwig’s Narnia is inflicting some controversy.
Earlier this month, Deadline reported that Streep is “in talks” to play Aslan the Nice Lion within the Narnia film that Greta Gerwig is engaged on for Netflix. Her casting has not but been formally confirmed, as the 2 events had been “not fairly on the supply stage but” when Deadline’s article was printed.
“Within the novels, Aslan is a speaking lion who serves as Narnia’s guardian and a information for the human kids,” the article notes. “Typically portrayed as a male, Aslan was created as an allegory for Jesus by writer C.S. Lewis.”
The movie will reportedly be an adaptation of Lewis’ The Magician’s Nephew, which was the sixth e book in The Chronicles of Narnia collection; nevertheless, it chronologically takes place earlier than The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and the next novels. This has not but been formally confirmed right now.
Why is Meryl Streep’s potential Narnia casting inflicting controversy?
Some readers of Lewis’ books are actually upset with Streep’s potential casting. Aaron Earls wrote at The Wardrobe Door, “This might be a horrible choice for each potential purpose…Artwork shouldn’t be as much as the favored vote, however variations of already current works have to present the biggest voice to the unique work. Gerwig and Netflix are free to develop a movie collection a couple of fantasy world created and dominated by a feminine lion, however that’s not Narnia.”
Others on X have questioned whether or not or not Aslan will nonetheless have a mane if portrayed by Streep.
I like Meryl Streep, I like Greta Gerwig’s movies but when Aslan finally ends up… OK, I like the #Narnia books, CS Lewis wrote top-of-the-line books on grief too. Verify the illustrations, learn the outline, Aslan has an enormous mane, he’s a male character. Let’s not do that. pic.twitter.com/M9MI3kIdfU
— Adam J. Yeend (@AJYeend) April 2, 2025
I hope the stories that Aslan is to be “reimagined as feminine” (and voiced by Meryl Streep, no much less) develop into false. Arguably some of the memorable scenes in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is when Aslan is shorn on the Stone Desk and has his mane cruelly eliminated.… pic.twitter.com/CB2oylUJNF
— ?? ✨ ?????? ✨ ?????? (@MeMyselfOnline) April 8, 2025
Not everybody shares these sentiments. Claire Allfree wrote at The Telegraph, “I applaud [Gerwig’s] choice to forged Streep as Aslan. In spite of everything, Aslan will not be actually Christ within the Narnia Chronicles however an imaginative iteration in step with the logic of Lewis’s Narnia, and thus inside the parameters of Lewis’s thought experiment, ripe for dwelling on in numerous type.”
Others have additionally chimed in supporting Streep’s casting:
This discourse on that is already SUPER exhausting. Aslan will not be actual. Aslan will not be Jesus. It is a speaking animal film for kids. Settle down. https://t.co/fJvqjYurxE
— Lon Harris (@Lons) April 4, 2025
It is the meme pic.twitter.com/h7ifnswS53
— December (@FriendOfAstraea) April 3, 2025
Seeing individuals getting mad on the concept of Meryl Streep enjoying Aslan, as a result of “Aslan is Jesus, and Jesus wasn’t a lady!”
and certain, honest level to that. However I’m fairly certain he wasn’t a fucking lion, both— Doubtful Sedai of the Brown Ajah (@DubiousCA) April 6, 2025
Aslan was beforehand voiced by Liam Neeson within the Narnia films that had been launched from 2005 to 2010. Gerwig’s Narnia will get an IMAX launch on Thanksgiving in 2026 earlier than hitting Netflix on Christmas.
