First Look at Aslan in ‘Narnia’ Revealed, and Meryl Streep Is Officially the Voice Behind the Great Lion

Few literary characters carry as much symbolic weight as Aslan, the great lion at the heart of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, long interpreted by readers and scholars as a Christ allegory. That significance has made every casting decision surrounding Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Netflix adaptation feel like it carries outsized stakes, especially once rumors began swirling about who would voice the character.

Those rumors first surfaced back in April, when reports indicated Meryl Streep was in early talks to voice a reimagined, female version of Aslan in ‘Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew,’ Gerwig’s take on the sixth book in Lewis’s series. That casting news immediately split the fandom, with reactions ranging from enthusiastic praise for the inspired choice to sharp criticism over reimagining a character many see as inseparable from his traditional religious symbolism.

Now that casting rumor has become confirmed reality. A newly revealed exclusive Empire magazine cover officially confirms Meryl Streep as the voice of Aslan, giving fans their clearest look yet at the towering lion character as he appears in Gerwig’s adaptation, and settling months of speculation about who would take on one of literature’s most iconic roles.

First look at Aslan in Greta Gerwig’s ‘NARNIA: THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW,’ voiced by Meryl Streep.

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Aslan has traditionally been voiced by male performers in past adaptations, most notably Liam Neeson across the earlier Walden Media film series. Streep’s casting marks a significant departure from that history, and reactions to the initial rumor captured just how emotionally invested longtime fans are in preserving Aslan’s traditional characterization.

Some commentary framed the change as a natural fit given the film’s specific placement within Narnia’s timeline. Since ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ depicts the actual creation of Narnia, occurring before any of Aslan’s other appearances in the series, some fans have argued the casting is theologically defensible, pointing out that a pre-incarnation representation wouldn’t necessarily carry fixed human traits like gender. Others have pushed back firmly, arguing that altering Aslan’s established identity undermines the character’s core meaning within Lewis’s original text.

Streep joins a cast that includes David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell as young leads Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, alongside Emma Mackey as the White Witch Jadis, Carey Mulligan as Digory’s mother Mabel Kirke, Ciarán Hinds, and Daniel Craig as the scheming Uncle Andrew. That ensemble had been building steadily since Gerwig’s adaptation was first announced, with Emma Mackey herself confirming Streep’s involvement in the project during a March interview with an Italian outlet.

The film adapts Lewis’s story about two children who use magical rings to travel between worlds, accidentally awakening the wicked Queen Jadis and eventually witnessing Aslan sing Narnia into existence. It marks the first-ever screen adaptation of ‘The Magician’s Nephew,’ distinguishing it from the more frequently adapted ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.’

Gerwig has described her connection to the material as deeply personal, tracing back to childhood. She’s spoken about falling in love with the concept of a cosmic lion singing the world of Narnia to life the very first time she read the book, a detail that’s shaped much of how she’s approached bringing the story to screen.

Behind the camera, the production includes cinematography from Seamus McGarvey and a score from Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, Gerwig’s frequent collaborators from ‘Barbie.’ Netflix and Sony Pictures Releasing International are splitting distribution duties, with Netflix handling the United States and Canada while Sony covers international markets.

‘Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew’ is set to release in theaters worldwide, including IMAX, on February 12, 2027, before arriving on Netflix on April 2. With Streep’s casting now officially confirmed rather than speculated, fans will finally get to hear her interpretation of the character firsthand once the film actually premieres, rather than continuing to debate the decision in the abstract.

Whatever side of the debate fans fall on, there’s no denying this casting choice has already made ‘Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew’ one of the most talked-about adaptations heading into 2027.

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