Meryl Streep's casting as the voice of Aslan has opened a dispute over more than a famous character's voice. Movieguide founder Ted Baehr says C.S. Lewis' family is "very upset" about the choice and fears it could "destroy the brand." He also claims family members are trying to regain control of The C.S. Lewis Company, which manages rights to Lewis' work. But Baehr offered no details of that effort, and the family has not publicly confirmed his account.
Speaking to CBN News, Baehr said he had recently visited Tim Gresham, the son of Lewis' stepson Douglas Gresham. He argued that casting a woman to voice Aslan creates a theological problem because Lewis conceived the lion as Christ appearing in Narnia. "You can't have God being voiced as a woman," Baehr said. His objection goes beyond whether Streep can give a compelling performance: he believes the casting changes how audiences will understand the character.
Director Greta Gerwig has offered a different reason for her choice. Explaining Streep's casting for The Magician's Nephew, Gerwig praised the actress's ability to bring both depth and joy to Aslan. The film tells the story of Narnia's creation, a scene in which Aslan sings the world into being. That gives his voice an unusually central role in this adaptation.
The unanswered question is what Streep's casting will mean on screen. A woman voicing Aslan does not, by itself, establish that Gerwig has rewritten the character as female. Yet for viewers who regard Aslan's identity and voice as inseparable from Lewis' Christian vision, the distinction may do little to ease their concern. Baehr has made that concern explicit; the Gresham family's own position remains unconfirmed.
Baehr's claim about control of The C.S. Lewis Company raises a second question. The company made its deal with Netflix in 2018, but Baehr did not explain who is seeking a change, what action they have taken, or whether the reported effort could affect the film. Until the family speaks for itself, its reaction and any attempt to regain control should be reported as Baehr's claims, not established developments.
Gerwig's Narnia has now become a test of how far an adaptation can reshape a character while retaining the meaning readers attach to him. Audiences have heard the casting arguments. They have yet to hear Streep's Aslan.
