Meryl Streep Confirmed as the Voice of Aslan in Greta Gerwig’s 'Narnia'
Photo Credit: Disney
by Chris Tremblay Sep 18
3 MIN READ
Meryl Streep will provide the voice of Aslan in Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s fantasy novel.
The casting was confirmed on September 17, 2026, when Empire published an exclusive first look at Gerwig’s film and identified Streep as the voice of the mythical lion at the center of Lewis’s fictional world.
The announcement resolves months of industry speculation over whether Streep would join the project. Earlier reporting had described her as being in discussions to play Aslan, while the new coverage presents the casting as finalized.
Gerwig told Empire that she wanted Aslan to be voiced by someone “profound but not pretentious,” with “gravitas but not morose self-seriousness.”
She also said she was looking for a performer capable of communicating “depth and pathos as well as joy and delight.”
Gerwig described age and experience as part of the casting brief, saying she wanted someone older than 70 who could convey wisdom while retaining “fresh wonder, like a child.”
She added that the desired actor had to be “one of the greatest actors to ever do it,” saying that the list of candidates was not long.
The first-look material depicts a new interpretation of Aslan, the talking lion who creates and protects the world of Narnia in Lewis’s mythology.
According to Empire, Gerwig’s version of the character has heterochromic eyes and a face marked by bold red stripes.
Gerwig identified David Bowie as a creative influence on both Aslan’s appearance and the film’s broader sensibility.
The production’s visual approach is part of a wider effort to present The Magician’s Nephew as a distinct interpretation of Lewis’s material rather than as a direct remake of the earlier screen adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
The film begins with The Magician’s Nephew, Lewis’s origin story for Narnia, rather than with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the best-known entry in the series and the first novel adapted for the 2005 theatrical film.
The production has also been described as having a strong musical dimension, with Gerwig discussing influences that include Bowie and the Who.
The available reporting identifies Aslan as male, while Streep’s casting means the character will be voiced by a woman in this adaptation.
The announcement therefore confirms a change in voice casting, but the sources reviewed do not describe the film as changing Aslan’s identity or narrative role.
The film reunites Gerwig with Streep after their collaboration on Little Women, Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel.
Streep appeared in Little Women as Aunt March, while Gerwig wrote and directed the film.
For Narnia, Streep’s role is primarily vocal, with her performance attached to the digital and visual realization of Aslan rather than to an on-screen human character.
Gerwig’s explanation emphasizes vocal qualities, emotional range and authority rather than celebrity recognition alone.
The director’s comments also indicate that she was seeking a performance that could combine solemnity with playfulness, reflecting Aslan’s role as both a powerful supernatural figure and a source of wonder within the story.
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew is scheduled to open in IMAX and other cinemas on February 12, 2027.
The film is scheduled to arrive on Netflix on April 2, 2027, following its theatrical run.
The release schedule represents a change from an earlier plan that had placed the film’s theatrical opening around Thanksgiving 2026.
The project is being developed as the first of Gerwig’s planned adaptations of Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia books.
The currently reported cast also includes Emma Mackey as the White Witch, alongside Carey Mulligan and Daniel Craig.
The story of The Magician’s Nephew*is set around the creation of Narnia and the origins of several elements that later become central to Lewis’s fictional universe.
The film’s first-look announcement places Streep’s voice at the center of Netflix’s introduction to Gerwig’s version of that mythology.
For now, the confirmed information concerns the casting, the initial design of Aslan and the release timetable; further details about Streep’s recording process and the film’s final performance style have not been disclosed in the sources reviewed.
The announcement resolves months of industry speculation over whether Streep would join the project. Earlier reporting had described her as being in discussions to play Aslan, while the new coverage presents the casting as finalized.
Gerwig told Empire that she wanted Aslan to be voiced by someone “profound but not pretentious,” with “gravitas but not morose self-seriousness.”
She also said she was looking for a performer capable of communicating “depth and pathos as well as joy and delight.”
Gerwig described age and experience as part of the casting brief, saying she wanted someone older than 70 who could convey wisdom while retaining “fresh wonder, like a child.”
She added that the desired actor had to be “one of the greatest actors to ever do it,” saying that the list of candidates was not long.
The First Look at Aslan
The first-look material depicts a new interpretation of Aslan, the talking lion who creates and protects the world of Narnia in Lewis’s mythology.
According to Empire, Gerwig’s version of the character has heterochromic eyes and a face marked by bold red stripes.
Gerwig identified David Bowie as a creative influence on both Aslan’s appearance and the film’s broader sensibility.
The production’s visual approach is part of a wider effort to present The Magician’s Nephew as a distinct interpretation of Lewis’s material rather than as a direct remake of the earlier screen adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
The film begins with The Magician’s Nephew, Lewis’s origin story for Narnia, rather than with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the best-known entry in the series and the first novel adapted for the 2005 theatrical film.
The production has also been described as having a strong musical dimension, with Gerwig discussing influences that include Bowie and the Who.
The available reporting identifies Aslan as male, while Streep’s casting means the character will be voiced by a woman in this adaptation.
The announcement therefore confirms a change in voice casting, but the sources reviewed do not describe the film as changing Aslan’s identity or narrative role.
Gerwig and Streep Reunite
The film reunites Gerwig with Streep after their collaboration on Little Women, Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel.
Streep appeared in Little Women as Aunt March, while Gerwig wrote and directed the film.
For Narnia, Streep’s role is primarily vocal, with her performance attached to the digital and visual realization of Aslan rather than to an on-screen human character.
Gerwig’s explanation emphasizes vocal qualities, emotional range and authority rather than celebrity recognition alone.
The director’s comments also indicate that she was seeking a performance that could combine solemnity with playfulness, reflecting Aslan’s role as both a powerful supernatural figure and a source of wonder within the story.
Release Plans
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew is scheduled to open in IMAX and other cinemas on February 12, 2027.
The film is scheduled to arrive on Netflix on April 2, 2027, following its theatrical run.
The release schedule represents a change from an earlier plan that had placed the film’s theatrical opening around Thanksgiving 2026.
The project is being developed as the first of Gerwig’s planned adaptations of Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia books.
The currently reported cast also includes Emma Mackey as the White Witch, alongside Carey Mulligan and Daniel Craig.
The story of The Magician’s Nephew*is set around the creation of Narnia and the origins of several elements that later become central to Lewis’s fictional universe.
The film’s first-look announcement places Streep’s voice at the center of Netflix’s introduction to Gerwig’s version of that mythology.
For now, the confirmed information concerns the casting, the initial design of Aslan and the release timetable; further details about Streep’s recording process and the film’s final performance style have not been disclosed in the sources reviewed.
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