Meryl Streep’s casting as Aslan in the upcoming Narnia film has triggered an angry response from some Christians, while critics have condemned what they describe as a “woke” gender swap.
Greta Gerwig, whose credits include Barbie (2023) and Little Women (2019), is writing and directing Netflix’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.
The film is scheduled to open in theaters on February 12, 2027, before arriving on Netflix two months later, on April 2.
Streep, 77, will provide the voice of Aslan, the mythical talking lion at the center of C.S. Lewis’ Narnia universe. The character is widely viewed as a parallel to Jesus Christ in the original books.
Liam Neeson previously voiced Aslan in the Narnia film trilogy released between 2005 and 2010. Together, those movies earned approximately $1.5 billion worldwide.
Following news of Streep’s casting, social media users took to X to criticize the decision, including over the choice to have a female actor voice the male lion. The casting has also prompted backlash from some Christian viewers.
Meryl Streep’s casting as Aslan in the upcoming Narnia film has sparked furious Christian backlash, while some critics have attacked the “woke” gender swap; seen in 2024 in Los Angeles.
Streep, 77, will voice Aslan, the mythical talking lion in C.S. Lewis’ Narnia world who is understood to parallel Jesus Christ.
“Aslan is based on the story of Jesus. Jesus is male, and Aslan is obviously a male lion. What’s this about?” one person wrote.
Another user addressed Streep directly, writing: “Dear Meryl Streep. I have watched your films and loved your talent for 40 years. Please do not do this. They are using you and your good name to blaspheme Christians.
“Is this what you want to be remembered for? Stop now. Signed, a lifelong fan,” the user added.
One X user dismissed the project as “another woke nonsense I will ignore,” adding: “Hollywood hates money. Going woke, going broke. And extremely stupid.”
“It doesn’t even make sense why a MALE LION would sound like Meryl Streep! It’s ridiculous!” another fan posted.
A further critic wrote: “It’s rather sad what Greta is doing to the C.S. Lewis classic. It has a Christian undertone and for some reason it’s not acceptable. The bigotry in Hollywood is disappointing & creepy.”
Another user argued that removing the religious elements would fundamentally alter the story, writing: “Stripping the Christian themes out of Narnia leaves you with something that is a complete different story.
“Typical Hollywood. They want Christian art but without the Christ. It doesn’t work like that,” the user continued.
Liam Neeson previously voiced Aslan in the Narnia trilogy released from 2005 to 2010, which earned roughly $1.5 billion globally; seen earlier this month in Toronto.
Social media users criticized Streep’s casting as the powerful male lion, with the decision also drawing backlash from some Christians.
“This is insane. It’s a male lion, the king of beasts, and it parallels Christ. This completely changes the story. This movie is DOA!” one fan commented.
Another called it a “bold decision,” but warned that it could damage enthusiasm for a story with strong Christian influences. “Feels very Snow White-esque. Why does Hollywood keep doing this?” the user wrote.
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.
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.’
