Narnia Fans Revolt as Netflix Eyes Streep for Gender-Swapped Aslan
Netflix’s plan to reimagine Narnia’s Jesus-figure as a female lion isn’t going over well with C.S. Lewis devotees. The latest leak from entertainment reports claims one of Hollywood’s most vocal liberals, Meryl Streep, might voice Aslan in the upcoming adaptation – news that’s sent the Christian community into an uproar.
“You can’t ‘gender-swap’ Aslan and come away with a coherent story,” blasted Aaron Walker at Twitchy. “It is a different story altogether. You will have scooped out Aslan and all he stands for (Christendom) and put his skin on a donkey.”
The choice of Streep raises even more eyebrows given her past comments on faith. In an interview with the London Daily Telegraph, the actress didn’t mince words: “I really don’t believe in the power of prayer,” saying she recognizes it’s a “horrible position as an intelligent, emotional, yearning human” to not find comfort in it. “But I just can’t go there,” she said.
Barbie director Greta Gerwig‘s take on the beloved series already promises other big names. Daniel Craig might play Andrew Ketterley, while Charlie XCX is rumored for the role of Jadis, the White Witch. Netflix won’t confirm any casting – but they’re clearly swinging for the fences.
Critics point to a crucial problem with the gender-swap. The lion’s male identity plays a vital role in one of the story’s most powerful moments. Before Aslan’s sacrifice in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” his mane is shaved as an act of humiliation – a scene that loses its impact entirely with a female lion, who wouldn’t have a mane to begin with.
The stakes are high. What’s On Netflix reports the adaptation will break with tradition, landing an IMAX release for Thanksgiving 2026. First up: “The Magician’s Nephew,” the chronological start of Lewis’s seven-book series.
For Streep, an aethiest, she admits hope without faith is elusive. “Consolation? I’m not sure I have it. I have a belief, I guess, in the power of the aggregate human attempt. In love and hope and optimism—you know, the magic things that seem inexplicable,” acknowledging her doubt that God even exists.
Netflix and the C.S. Lewis estate aren’t talking. For Streep, if confirmed, it would mark her first major role since Netflix’s “Don’t Look Up” in 2021. But for Narnia fans, it might mark something else entirely – the moment Hollywood finally went too far with their beloved lion.
–Dwight Widaman
