Meryl Streep as Aslan sparks debate over Netflix's new Narnia film
Netflix's upcoming Narnia film casts Meryl Streep as the voice of the lion Aslan, prompting criticism from some Christian commentators and a defense from C.S. Lewis scholars. Director Greta Gerwig has not directly addressed the gender debate, AP reported.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
Meryl Streep will voice the lion Aslan in Netflix's "Narnia: The Magician's Nephew," and the casting has drawn a sharp debate among fans of C.S. Lewis's books, AP and Fox News reported.
The movie: The film opens in IMAX theaters on Feb. 12, 2027, and on Netflix on April 2, 2027. Streep has been attached since April. Liam Neeson voiced Aslan in earlier films. Director Greta Gerwig is moving the story's setting from about 1900 to the 1950s, Deadline reported.
What Gerwig said: Gerwig said she wanted a voice that was "profound but not pretentious" and someone "older than 70, so there was a wisdom of experience." She has not directly addressed the gender question, AP reported.
More context
The criticism: Aslan is a Christ figure in Lewis's books. Christian Post columnist Seth Udinsky pointed to a promo photo with rainbow-tinted whiskers. A Change.org petition asks Netflix to replace Gerwig. Movieguide's Ted Baehr told Fox News "it's going to alienate a lot of Christians," though "it doesn't mean the movie won't succeed."
The other side: Lewis scholar Kat Coffin told AP she is "far more disturbed by the people who are violently opposed" to the casting. The family of Lewis's late wife, Joy Davidman Gresham, praised Gerwig's "sincere passion" in a statement provided by Netflix. Ned Lott, who helped cast Aslan's voice for the 2005 film, told Fox News his team would not have made the choice, but called it "a different philosophy." "Clearly, there's an artistic reason," he said. Casting a woman to voice Aslan does not necessarily mean the character is shown as female, AP noted.
Wait and see: Some Lewis scholars urge viewers to hold judgment until the film is out. "It could be problematic, but we won't know until we see the film," author Christin Ditchfield Lazo told AP.
4 listed sources
- Associated Press (Peter Smith), Oct 4, 2026: A familiar figure, a new voice: Meryl Streep's Aslan stirs gender debate over Gerwig's 'Narnia'
- Fox News (Carly Mayberry), Oct 3, 2026: Director of new Narnia movie takes heat over casting Meryl Streep as Christ-like lion Aslan
- Deadline (Glenn Garner), Sept 17, 2026
- Sourcing note: Mix of AP (wire), Fox News and Deadline. Critics and defenders of the casting are both quoted and attributed.
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
Casting does not by itself mean Aslan will be depicted as female on screen, AP noted. Fox News sought comment from Netflix and CAA; responses were not reported in the pieces cited. A Change.org petition is advocacy, not an official church position.
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