Greta Gerwig has revealed why Meryl Streep was her first choice to voice Aslan in Netflix’s upcoming Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. The filmmaker wanted an actor capable of giving the iconic lion both profound wisdom and a sense of joy, ultimately deciding that Streep perfectly matched those qualities.
Speaking to Empire, Gerwig explained that she wanted Aslan to sound experienced without becoming overly serious or pretentious.
“I wanted someone who was profound but not pretentious, who had gravitas but not morose self-seriousness,”
Gerwig said. She also wanted the performer to communicate
“depth and pathos as well as joy and delight.”
Meryl Streep’s Age and Acting Range Made Her Ideal for Aslan
Gerwig said Streep’s combination of experience and emotional range was particularly important for the role. She specifically wanted someone older than 70 who could convey wisdom while still retaining
“the capacity of fresh wonder, like a child.”
That combination ultimately made Streep stand out from the other possibilities. Gerwig added that she also wanted
“one of the greatest actors to ever do it,”
noting that the list of performers who met all those requirements was very short.
Streep will become the latest actor to portray Aslan, following Liam Neeson’s performance in the 2005 film adaptation and its sequels. The character is the true king of Narnia and appears throughout C.S. Lewis’ seven-book series.
Netflix’s The Magician’s Nephew will explore the origins of Narnia, taking place thousands of years before the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The story centers on the creation of the magical world by Aslan.
Gerwig’s adaptation is scheduled to receive an Imax release on February 12, 2027, before arriving on Netflix on April 2, 2027.
