There's another character that makes way more sense.
Greta Gerwig's 'Narnia: The Magician's Nephew' Cast Updates: Debunking Those Meryl Streep Aslan Rumors
Chloe Williams is B+C’s Entertainment Editor, Celebrity Interviewer, and On-Air Host with over 8 years of experience in the media space. Her interviews have amassed millions of views, and have been referenced in Vanity Fair, Deadline, and People. Whether she’s analyzing costumes, writing a movie review, or laughing with the hottest A-listers, she loves exploring themes of hope, restoration, and beauty. Chloe received a degree in American Southern Studies and Creative Writing from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and currently lives in New York City with an alarming amount of notebooks. Say hi at @thechloewilliams on Insta and TikTok and @popculturechlo on Twitter!
Recommended for you
Meryl Streep allegedly getting cast as Aslan in Netflix's upcoming Narnia was the casting rumor heard 'round the world. And considering Aslan is a male lion who is meant to represent Jesus, fans of C.S. Lewis' books basically freaked out.
As both a Narnia nerd and a fan of Greta Gerwig, I was holding out hope Greta would find a way to adapt the first book in the series in a way that caters to fans of the books, people of faith, and anyone who's never engaged with the story at all. She handled the endlessly-talked-about ending of Little Women (you know, where Jo ends up with a man despite spending her entire life not wanting to marry) with grace, and I knew she would do the same for The Magician's Nephew. And I think I just debunked those Meryl Streep as Aslan rumors.
Here's why I think Meryl Streep is playing Aunt Letty instead of Aslan in Netflix's Narnia: The Magician's Nephew.
Netflix never confirmed Meryl Streep as Aslan in the new 'Narnia' movie.
It's incredibly important to me that I restate the fact Netflix has never confirmed Meryl Streep would be voicing Aslan, even though we know she is officially in the movie. If something is a rumor, treat it like a rumor, y'all!
The news that Meryl was allegedly in talks to play the creator and savior of Narnia started in March 2025 when Nexus Point News reported that "an offer has been made to Meryl Streep to portray a central character in the series: Aslan, the Great Lion."
This opened up a can of worms in internet discussion over whether Netflix would portray Aslan as a female lion, if he would remain a male lion with a female voice, or if it would be a contemporary, androgynous take.
However, when Ciarán Hinds was officially confirmed as part of the cast, it all clicked into place for me.
But one 'Magician's Nephew' character suits her better than anyone else.
The Wardrobe Door suggests that Hinds joining the cast after production has already been going could mean he's primarily working with voiceovers instead of acting alongside his costars. Emma Mackey (who stars as the movie's antagonist Jadis) confirmed she worked with Carey Mulligan (who could play Digory's mother Mabel or Queen Helen), Daniel Craig (who's playing Uncle Andrew), and Meryl Streep. This tells me to expect Meryl to play a human character. But who could she play?
Aunt Letty!
In The Magician's Nephew, Aunt Letty is Uncle Andrew and Mabel's sister, which means that she could be sharing screen time with Carey and Daniel — and we know from the text that Letty comes across Jadis when the queen leaves the world of Charn, follows Digory and Polly back to London, and then essentially breaks into the Kirks' house asking where her horse drawn carriage was.
Despite the fact she was being faced with an evil queen, Aunty Letty stood her ground and ended up calling Jadis a drunk before telling her maid Sarah to call the police. That kind of serious determination definitely sounds like Meryl Streep if you ask me.
What do you think about the casting rumors surrounding Meryl Streep and Narnia? Let us know in the comments.
