Meryl Streep’s reported casting as the voice of Aslan in the next Narnia movie has triggered strong criticism from some Christian viewers, while others have condemned the decision as a “woke” gender swap.
Greta Gerwig, the filmmaker behind Barbie (2023) and Little Women (2019), is writing and directing Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.
The fantasy film is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on February 12, 2027, ahead of its Netflix debut on April 2.
Streep, 77, is set to provide the voice of Aslan, the powerful, talking lion whose role in C.S. Lewis’ Narnia stories is widely understood as an allegorical parallel to Jesus Christ.
Liam Neeson previously voiced Aslan in the three Narnia films released between 2005 and 2010. Together, those movies earned approximately $1.5 billion at the global box office.
News of Streep’s casting prompted a wave of responses on X, with critics questioning the decision to have a female actor voice the traditionally male lion and some Christian users accusing the production of undermining the character’s religious symbolism.
Meryl Streep’s casting as Aslan in the forthcoming Narnia film has drawn fierce criticism from some Christians, while other detractors have described the decision as a “woke” gender swap; she is seen in Los Angeles in 2024.
Streep, 77, will voice Aslan, the mythical lion at the heart of C.S. Lewis’ Narnia universe whose character has long been compared with Jesus Christ.
One social media user argued that Aslan’s connection to Jesus made the casting difficult to understand, pointing out that both the biblical figure and Lewis’ lion are presented as male.
Another commenter, who said they had admired Streep’s work for four decades, urged her to reconsider the project. They claimed the actress was being used to insult Christians and questioned whether that was how she wanted her career to be remembered.
The longtime fan ended the message by identifying themselves as a lifelong supporter of the actress and asking her to “stop now.”
Elsewhere, an X user dismissed the casting as another example of “woke” Hollywood, predicting that the decision would alienate audiences and hurt the film financially.
Another critic questioned why a male lion would be voiced by Streep, calling the choice “ridiculous” and arguing that it did not fit the character.
A further post accused Gerwig of mishandling Lewis’ classic story, saying its Christian undertones should not be removed. The user described what they saw as Hollywood’s treatment of the source material as both troubling and prejudiced.
Another commenter maintained that taking away Narnia’s Christian themes would fundamentally transform the story rather than simply modernize it.
They added that Hollywood appeared to want the imagery and appeal of Christian art without retaining its central references to Christ.
Liam Neeson voiced Aslan in the Narnia film trilogy released from 2005 to 2010, which generated roughly $1.5 billion worldwide; he was seen in Toronto earlier this month.
Users on X have debated Meryl Streep’s casting as Aslan, the powerful male lion whose role has also drawn criticism from Christian viewers.
One fan called the decision “insane,” emphasizing that Aslan is portrayed as a male lion, the “king of beasts,” and a figure representing Christ. The commenter predicted that the film would fail before release.
Another user described the casting as a bold but potentially damaging move for a story with strong Christian influences, comparing the controversy to the backlash surrounding Snow White and asking why Hollywood continues to make similar choices.
Another said, ‘CS Lewis is cringing from beyond the grave,’ and one wrote, ‘Can’t wait not to watch. You know what would be unique these days? A faithful adaptation. This subversion is old and boring af.’
‘That’s okay, we already have great Narnia movies. This one just won’t exist in my household,’ an X user shared.
One wrote, ‘Should not be called The Chronicles of Narnia. This is by far the worst adaptation of a book.’
Others voiced their thoughts on social media, including political commentator Isabel Brown.
‘In case there’s ANY confusion, CS Lewis literally intended Aslan to be the incarnation of Christ inside the world of Narnia.’
She also wrote, ‘Aslan is more than an allegory for Christ, he *is* how the creatures of Narnia experience Christ in their world just as we experience Jesus Christ as an incarnate MAN in ours.
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Others voiced their thoughts on social media, including political commentator Isabel Brown
Gerwig recently opened up about the casting of Streep in the upcoming Narnia film during an interview with Empire; seen earlier this month in L.A.
‘To cast Meryl Streep as Aslan in Greta Gerwig’s Narnia is a slap in the face to the genius of Lewis, but also a deliberate mockery of Christianity that is 100% intentional. So deeply disappointing.’
Some, however, expressed interest and support in the casting.
One said, ‘Meryl streep voicing aslan with a david bowie inspired design? that is such a wild combination, but i’m very c[u]rious to see how greta gerwig pulls it together.’
Daily Mail has reached out to reps of Streep for comment, but has yet to hear back.
Gerwig recently opened up about the casting of Streep in the upcoming Narnia film during an interview with Empire.
‘I wanted someone who was profound but not pretentious, who had gravitas but not morose self-seriousness,’ the filmmaker told the outlet. ‘Someone who could communicate depth and pathos as well as joy and delight.’
Gerwig continued, ‘I wanted someone who was older than 70, so there was a wisdom of experience, but who also had the capacity of fresh wonder, like a child.
‘And also to be one of the greatest actors to ever do it. That list is not a long one.’
She additionally explained that singer David Bowie had been one of the inspirations behind her version of Aslan and the film itself.
Gerwig continued, ‘I wanted someone who was older than 70, so there was a wisdom of experience, but who also had the capacity of fresh wonder, like a child’; Streep seen in April in South Korea
She additionally explained that singer David Bowie had been one of the inspirations behind her version of Aslan and the film itself; Bowie seen in 1995
In the book titled A To Z With C.S. Lewis, author Louis Markos discussed Aslan and Christ with Lewis.
‘Though many readers assume that Aslan, the lion king of Narnia who dies and rises again, is an allegory for Christ, Lewis himself disagreed,’ Markos wrote in an excerpt, per The Gospel Coalition.
‘According to his creator, Aslan is not an allegory for Christ but the Christ of Narnia. The distinction is vital.
‘Were Aslan only an allegory, a mere stand-in for the hero of the Gospels, he would not engage the reader as he does.’
Markos added, ‘In fact, as Lewis explained, Aslan is what the second person of the Trinity (God the Son) might have been like had he been incarnated in a magical world of talking animals and living trees.
‘As such, Aslan takes on a force and a reality that speaks to us through the pages of the Chronicles of Narnia.’
The Magician’s Nephew is an ‘origin story for Narnia’ and ‘is the first ever adaptation’ of Lewis’ sixth book in the Narnia series, but appears as the first volume.
‘Though many readers assume that Aslan, the lion king of Narnia who dies and rises again, is an allegory for Christ, Lewis himself disagreed,’ Markos wrote in an excerpt, per The Gospel Coalition
Gerwig explained that she first read The Magician’s Nephew as a child ‘and I fell in love with the gorgeously improbable but completely brilliant concept of a cosmic lion singing the world of Narnia to life,’ per an official statement.
She gushed that it is an ‘honor of a lifetime’ to bring the story to life.
After reading the Narnia series, the actress and filmmaker added that she ‘believed in magic and hidden worlds and adventure. I believed that anywhere could be enchanted and that anyone could be swept up into an epic.
‘That wonder and awe was available to everyone, even ordinary people like me… It transformed me.’