The Real Problem With Greta Gerwig’s Gender-Bent Aslan

Some months ago, a rumor began: Meryl Streep would voice Aslan in Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of “The Magician’s Nephew.” While X was filled with accusations of “Translan,” some voices, such as “Pints with Jack” hosts David Bates and Andrew Lazo, held out hope that this was nothing but a publicity stunt. The rumor is true. Meryl Streep will voice Aslan. This casting choice has been widely condemned, with a few progressive Lewis writers praising it, and at least one Daily Wire voice telling people to chill out; after all, Aslan is “just a lion.”

It matters that Aslan is being voiced by a woman. “The Chronicles of Narnia” have been a global phenomenon since their initial publication across 1950-1956. Gerwig, Netflix, and the Lewis Estate share culpability for failing to steward Lewis’s story.