Meryl Streep cast as Aslan in Netflix Narnia film
Casting of the veteran actress as the Christ-like lion character sparks backlash from some conservative and MAGA-affiliated groups.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Meryl Streep's casting as Aslan in the forthcoming Narnia film has sparked furious Christian backlash, while some critics have slammed the 'woke' gender swap; seen in 2024 in L.A.
Photograph: dailymail.com (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Meryl Streep has been cast as the voice of Aslan in the upcoming Netflix film 'Narnia: The Magician's Nephew.'
- The casting has drawn criticism from some conservative and MAGA-affiliated individuals and outlets.
- Critics argue that Aslan, who parallels Jesus Christ in C.S. Lewis's books, is intended to be a male figure and casting a woman is a mockery of Christianity.
- Some reports link the casting to a broader trend of perceived 'gender-swapping' or 'wokeness' in media.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 6 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. Coverage measured .
Trust
30/100
Craft
57/100
Hype
68/100
6 sources · methodology
Thin on the left so far
Only 1 of the 6 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Actress Meryl Streep has been cast to voice the character of Aslan in Netflix's forthcoming film 'Narnia: The Magician's Nephew.' The production is slated for release on February 12, 2027, in cinemas, followed by a Netflix debut on April 2, 2027. Greta Gerwig is writing and directing the film. Aslan is a mythical talking lion in C.S. Lewis's Narnia series, often interpreted as a parallel to Jesus Christ.
Divergent views on casting
Reports indicate that Streep's casting has generated backlash from some conservative and MAGA-affiliated individuals and outlets. Critics argue that Aslan is intended to be a depiction of Christ and that casting a woman in the role is a mockery of Christianity. Some outlets also connect this casting to a wider trend of perceived 'gender-swapping' or 'wokeness' in media. The Daily Mail reported that social media users expressed their views, with one stating, 'Aslan is based on the story of Jesus. Jesus is male, and Aslan is obviously a male lion. What's this about?' Another user wrote, 'Dear Meryl Streep. I have watched your films and loved your talent for 40 years. Please do not do this. They are using you and your good name to blaspheme Christians.'
What the coverage left out
None of the right-rated digests mention the reported $300 million budget for the film that Breitbart stated. The centre-rated report did not include the $300 million figure. The left-rated report did not mention a budget figure.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 3 times, most recently on 21 Sept 2026, 03:45, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
1 rated outlet
- The Daily Kos report led on the backlash against Meryl Streep's casting as Aslan, framing it as the latest in a series of 'nonsensical enemies' for the MAGA community. It noted that the anger over Streep's role was occurring alongside controversy over Tillamook Cheese's halal labeling. The report stated that conservative voices viewed Streep's casting as a 'deliberate mockery of Christianity' and linked it to broader MAGA concerns about gender in media, citing examples like 'The Odyssey' and 'The Little Mermaid.'
Centre
1 rated outlet
- The Daily Mail report focused on the 'furious Christian backlash' and 'woke gender swap' following Meryl Streep's casting as Aslan. It highlighted social media reactions, quoting users who expressed dismay at a woman voicing a character paralleling Christ. The report also mentioned that Liam Neeson previously voiced Aslan in earlier film adaptations.
Right
4 rated outlets
- The Gateway Pundit, The Western Journal, The Christian Post, and Breitbart all highlighted the backlash to Meryl Streep's casting as Aslan. The Gateway Pundit and The Western Journal framed the issue around what C.S. Lewis might say about a woman playing his depiction of Christ. The Christian Post described the backlash as 'creative vandalism.' Breitbart's headline stated, 'Netflix Gender-swaps Jesus -- Streep to Voice Aslan in $300 Million 'Narnia' Movie,' suggesting the film's budget was $300 million. The reports from these outlets consistently framed the casting as a 'gender swap' and a 'mockery of Christianity.'
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Meryl Streep cast as Aslan in Netflix Narnia film?
- Of the 6 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 17% are rated left, 16% are rated centre, 67% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Meryl Streep cast as Aslan in Netflix Narnia film left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 6 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Meryl Streep cast as Aslan in Netflix Narnia film biased?
- Meryl Streep cast as Aslan in Netflix Narnia film is one event reported by 6 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Meryl Streep cast as Aslan in Netflix Narnia film?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Meryl Streep cast as Aslan in Netflix Narnia film?
- 6 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- Who has been cast as Aslan in the new Narnia film?
- Meryl Streep has been cast as the voice of Aslan, the Christ-like lion character, in Netflix's upcoming film 'Narnia: The Magician's Nephew.' The film is scheduled for release in early 2027.
- Why is Meryl Streep's casting as Aslan controversial?
- The casting has sparked backlash from some conservative and MAGA-affiliated groups who argue that Aslan is intended to be a male figure representing Christ. They view a woman voicing the character as a mockery of Christianity and a sign of 'wokeness' in media.
- Who is directing the new Narnia film?
- Greta Gerwig, known for directing 'Barbie' and 'Little Women,' is writing and directing Netflix's 'Narnia: The Magician's Nephew.' The film is expected to be released in early 2027.
Read it at the source
6 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
1Centre
1Right
4- Here’s What C.S. Lewis Would Say About a Woman Playing His Depiction of Christ in Netflix’s ‘Narnia’ * The Gateway Pundit * by Michael Austin, The Western Journal (opens The Gateway Pundit in a new tab)
The Gateway Pundit — is The Gateway Pundit biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Here's What C.S. Lewis Would Say About a Woman Playing His Depiction of Christ in Netflix's 'Narnia' (opens The Western Journal in a new tab)
The Western Journal — is The Western Journal biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Meryl Streep as Aslan in 'The Magician's Nephew' sparks Christian backlash: 'Creative vandalism' (opens The Christian Post in a new tab)
The Christian Post — is The Christian Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Nolte: Netflix Gender-swaps Jesus -- Streep to Voice Aslan in $300 Million 'Narnia' Movie (opens Breitbart in a new tab)
Not rated
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
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