Meryl Streep's Aslan Casting Sparks Debate Among 'Narnia' Fans

The casting of Meryl Streep to voice the character of Aslan in Netflix's upcoming adaptation of C.S. Lewis's "The Magician's Nephew" has drawn criticism from some Christian and media figures, leading to an online petition demanding the replacement of director Greta Gerwig for future "Narnia" films.

The petition, initiated on Change.org, cites concerns over the theological implications of casting Streep as Aslan, a character widely interpreted as an allegory for Jesus Christ. The film, based on the sixth published book in "The Chronicles of Narnia" series, is slated for release in February 2027.

Dr. Ted Baehr, founder of Movieguide, expressed confusion over the casting choice. "Most of them know that Aslan is a Christ figure... With the change that they're doing, it's going to alienate a lot of Christians," Baehr told Fox News Digital. He noted that while the film might still achieve box office success, it risks losing a significant portion of its audience.

Gerwig, who has described herself as a Unitarian Universalist and churchgoer, stated her vision for Aslan was to find an actor who is "profound but not pretentious, who had gravitas but not morose self-seriousness," and who could convey both "depth and pathos as well as joy and delight." She further elaborated that she sought someone "older than 70, so there was a wisdom of experience, but who also had the capacity of fresh wonder, like a child," and who is "one of the greatest actors to ever do it."

Ned Lott, a casting and voice director who worked on the 2005 film adaptation of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," shared his perspective on the importance of casting Aslan. "It’s like casting for the voice of Jesus, or the voice of God. Like, in my mind, it was very important that the character of the books, and the integrity of the books, matched the voice, and even the actor," Lott told Fox News Digital.

Lott recounted the meticulous process of casting Aslan for the 2005 film, which ultimately led to Liam Neeson, an Irish actor, being chosen. He emphasized that casting decisions are often driven by the character's needs rather than an actor's pre-existing profile, and noted that vocal manipulation and performance can allow actors to embody characters of different genders or perceived characteristics.

However, Lott expressed that Streep's casting as Aslan puzzles him, contrasting it with the approach taken in 2005. "We took so much care with Aslan and really understood him. It just seemed like a choice that we would have not made back in 2005 because we understood the integrity of the books and tried to do as much as we could with the integrity of what the author had in mind," he said. "Clearly, there’s an artistic reason."