Culture 4 min read By Trevor Kendall
Greta Gerwig's Narnia Reveals First Look at Meryl Streep's Aslan
Empire magazine's world-exclusive covers offer the first official look at Aslan in Greta Gerwig's Narnia: The Magician's Nephew, with Meryl Streep voicing the lion. Gerwig explains why Streep was the only choice and cites David Bowie as an inspiration.
Greta Gerwig's adaptation of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew has unveiled its first official look at Aslan, the mythical lion at the heart of C.S. Lewis's fantasy series, with Meryl Streep confirmed as the voice behind the character. The reveal arrived via world-exclusive covers from Empire magazine, giving audiences their first glimpse of the film's central figure ahead of its Netflix debut.
The casting marks a reunion between Gerwig and Streep, who previously collaborated on the director's 2019 adaptation of Little Women. In explaining her decision, Gerwig said the list of performers capable of embodying Aslan was not a long one. She described wanting a voice that carried weight without self-importance, telling the magazine she sought someone «profound but not pretentious» who could bring gravitas without tipping into morose self-seriousness.
Aslan is a foundational figure in Lewis's seven-book Chronicles of Narnia, serving as the creator and moral center of the fantasy world. The Magician's Nephew, published in 1955, functions as a prequel to the better-known The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, chronicling the creation of Narnia and the origins of the wardrobe itself. Bringing that origin story to the screen places particular weight on Aslan's introduction, since the character's first appearance in the narrative establishes the tone for the entire mythology.
Gerwig also revealed that her approach to the material draws on an unexpected cultural touchstone: David Bowie. The director cited the late musician as an inspiration for the film's sensibility, a reference that suggests her Narnia will lean into the strange, theatrical, and otherworldly qualities of Lewis's creation rather than a purely traditional fantasy treatment. The combination of Bowie's influence and Streep's voice work points toward an Aslan defined by presence and personality rather than sheer scale alone.
The project represents Gerwig's follow-up to Barbie, her blockbuster 2023 film, and continues Netflix's push into large-scale fantasy adaptations. The Magician's Nephew is the first of two Narnia films Gerwig is directing for the streamer, a commitment that signals the platform's ambition to build a sustained franchise from Lewis's beloved books. The Empire covers constitute the most substantial official look at the production to date, arriving as anticipation builds around how Gerwig will translate a series long associated with previous screen adaptations into her own visual and emotional register.
Streep's involvement adds another major name to a project already carrying considerable awards-season pedigree. The actress, a four-time Oscar nominee in Gerwig's estimation of the shortlist for the role, brings a distinctive vocal quality to a character previously voiced by other performers in earlier Narnia adaptations. For Gerwig, the choice appears to rest on the idea that Aslan requires a voice capable of authority and warmth in equal measure, a balance she believes Streep can strike.
With the first look now public, attention turns to further casting announcements and a release timeline for The Magician's Nephew. The film's placement as the opening chapter of Gerwig's Narnia run means its reception will shape expectations for the second installment. For now, the Empire reveal has accomplished what such covers typically do: it has given fans a concrete image to discuss while leaving the larger questions of tone, fidelity, and execution for the film itself to answer.
