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 18 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 8 of the 26 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
30/100
Craft
57/100
Hype
68/100
26 sources · methodology
Missing from the left
Only 4 of the 18 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
A reader who follows the left would not have seen this. We report the absence rather than explain it: outlets choose what to cover for many reasons, and we have no evidence about which one applies here.
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.
Coverage settled. We checked this 21 times and stopped on 26 Sept 2026, 11:46. The figures above are what it finished at.
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
4 rated outlets
- The left-rated outlets reported that Meryl Streep will play Aslan in Greta Gerwig's new Narnia film, The Magician's Nephew. They stated the film will adapt the first installment of the book series and is set for a 2027 release.
- These reports noted Streep's casting is unusual because the lion has traditionally been a male character. One outlet mentioned that some Christians have called the casting 'blasphemous'.
- The digests did not mention the director's previous success with Barbie, nor did they include any quotes from Greta Gerwig about her casting choices.
Centre
3 rated outlets
- 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
11 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 18 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 22% are rated left, 17% are rated centre, 61% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 26. 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?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 18 rated outlets on this story, 22% are rated left, 17% are rated centre, 61% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- 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 26 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?
- 26 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
26 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
4- Netflix Teases New Narnia From Barbie Director. World-Famous Actress to Play Aslan (opens Novinky.cz in a new tab)
Novinky.cz — is Novinky.cz biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Meryl Streep's Narnia casting branded 'blasphemous' (opens Pink News in a new tab)
- Historic Role: Meryl Streep to Play Aslan the Lion in 'The Chronicles of Narnia' (opens fakti.bg in a new tab)
- MAGA’s newest nonsensical enemies: Cheese and Meryl Streep (opens Daily Kos in a new tab)
Daily Kos — is Daily Kos biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
Centre
3- Narnia Returns to the Cinema with Meryl Streep as Aslan's Voice in Greta Gerwig's New Film (opens TVN in a new tab)
- Meryl Streep Casting as Aslan in Narnia Film Draws Backlash (opens Internewscast in a new tab)
Internewscast — is Internewscast biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Meryl Streep sparks backlash after being cast as Aslan in Narnia film (opens dailymail.com in a new tab)
dailymail.com — is dailymail.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
11- The Lion, The Witch, And The Audacity Of Netflix (opens The Daily Wire in a new tab)
The Daily Wire — is The Daily Wire biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- The lion, the witch, and the worldview war (opens Conservative Review in a new tab)
Conservative Review — is Conservative Review biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- The lion, the witch, and the worldview war (opens The Blaze in a new tab)
The Blaze — is The Blaze biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Christ as a Woman? 'Narnia' Rumors Confirmed, Gerwig Picks Streep to Play Aslan (opens CBN in a new tab)
- Why Meryl Streep shouldn’t voice Aslan (opens Spectator Australia in a new tab)
Spectator Australia — is Spectator Australia biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Meryl Streep May Be Brilliant, but She Is Not Aslan (opens Evie Magazine in a new tab)
Evie Magazine — is Evie Magazine biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Narnia film's female Aslan is profane, say evangelicals (opens The Telegraph in a new tab)
The Telegraph — is The Telegraph biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 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
Show 3 more
- 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
8- 'Blasphemous’: Meryl Streep as Aslan Ignites ‘Narnia’ Casting Controversy (opens crosswalk.com in a new tab)
crosswalk.com — is crosswalk.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Meryl Streep Will Double Lion in the New ‘The Chronicles of Narnia' (opens AMAZONAS ATUAL in a new tab)
AMAZONAS ATUAL — is AMAZONAS ATUAL biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Meryl Streep in Aslan's Role Split the Narnia Chronicle Fans. (opens Life.ru in a new tab)
- Everything We Know About Greta Gerwig's Narnia (opens BOOK RIOT in a new tab)
- Meryl Streep's casting in Narnia slammed as 'woke' by Christian groups (opens Film News in a new tab)
- 17 scathing takedowns of the conspiracy theory that Greta Gerwig is trying to destroy Christianity by casting Meryl Streep as the voice of Aslan (opens thepoke.com in a new tab)
thepoke.com — is thepoke.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Gender-Swapping Aslan Is Outrageous (opens The Constitution Study in a new tab)
The Constitution Study — is The Constitution Study biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Meryl Streep Faces Backlash Over Aslan Casting in Narnia (opens NewsFinale in a new tab)
NewsFinale — is NewsFinale biased? Our profile of this outlet
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