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Meryl Streep’s casting as Aslan in Netflix’s new adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia has sparked a heated reaction among some Christians. Critics have lashed out at the filmmakers, calling the decision to cast the legendary actress in the role a “woke” experiment.

The new Netflix film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, is written and directed by Greta Gerwig, best known for Barbie (2023) and Little Women (2019).

The film is scheduled to premiere in theaters on February 12, 2027.

The 77-year-old Meryl Streep will voice Aslan, the mythical talking lion from the world of Narnia who, in C. S. Lewis’s books, embodies the Christian figure of Jesus Christ.

In the previous film trilogy, released between 2005 and 2010, Aslan was voiced by Liam Neeson.

Following the casting announcement, users on X began debating the decision to cast Streep as the mighty lion, who is a male character in the original books. The news also drew a strong reaction from some Christian viewers.

“Aslan is based on Jesus. Jesus is a man, and Aslan is obviously a male lion. What is this?” one user wrote.

Another addressed the actress directly: “Dear Meryl Streep. I’ve watched your movies and admired your talent for 40 years. Please don’t do this. They are using you and your good name to mock Christians.”

Another user wrote: “Another pointless piece of ‘woke’ nonsense that I’ll be ignoring.”

“Why does a lion need to be voiced by Meryl Streep? This is just ridiculous!” another commenter complained.

“It’s very sad to see what Greta is doing to C. S. Lewis’s classic. There is clearly a Christian subtext to it, and somehow that is considered unacceptable today. Hollywood’s bias is disappointing and even frightening,” another user wrote.

Someone else argued: “If you remove the Christian element from Narnia, you get a completely different story. Typical Hollywood. They want Christian art without Christ. That’s not how it works.”

“This is insane. It’s a male lion, the king of beasts, and he represents Christ. This completely changes the story. This movie is doomed before it even comes out!” one fan wrote.

“C. S. Lewis is probably turning in his grave,” another commenter wrote.

“This movie shouldn’t even be called The Chronicles of Narnia. This is unquestionably the worst adaptation of the book,” another user declared.

Political commentator Isabelle Brown also weighed in.

“Just in case there was any confusion: C. S. Lewis conceived Aslan as an embodiment of Christ in the world of Narnia,” she said. “Aslan isn’t simply an allegory for Christ. He is how the people of Narnia experience Christ’s presence in their world, just as we experience Jesus Christ as God incarnate in our world,” Brown added.

However, not everyone reacted negatively to the casting. Some users expressed curiosity about the decision and welcomed the choice of Streep.

Gerwig recently discussed casting Streep as Aslan in an interview with Empire. “I wanted to find someone who was profound but not pretentious, someone with gravitas and charisma but without a dark, self-serious quality,” the director explained. “Someone who could convey depth and emotional power, but also joy and wonder.”

“I wanted this person to be over 70, to have the wisdom that comes with life experience while still retaining a childlike ability to be amazed by everything. And, of course, it had to be one of the greatest actors of all time. And that list isn’t very long.”

The director also revealed that musician David Bowie was one of the inspirations behind her interpretation of Aslan and the film itself.

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