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Breaking news. A new casting or creative announcement has got fans in an uproar. Alack, it must be a new day ending with the suffix -day. But in this case, the reliably rumored cast announcement is so strange, and so ghastly, and so out-and-out weird beyond the worlds, that it warrants us bumping our planned episode and focusing a whole other episode on this most bizarre and terrible news instead. We’re talking about the notion that a female actor (no shade on her) is rumored to be the new voice of Aslan.

Mission update

• Lorehaven review: Squire of Truth this week, Ice retro review next week
• Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild

Episode sponsors

1. Enclave Publishing: Illuminary by Chawna Schroeder
2. Realm Makers Expo 2025
3. Johanna Frank, author of Here Lyeth
4. Inheritance by J. A. Webb

Quotes and notes

• “8 Facts About the Cancelled Silver Chair Movie,” NarniaWeb.com, Jan. 8, 2020
• “Update from Douglas Gresham Family,” NarniaWeb.com, August 2024
• Greta Gerwig ‘intimidated’ to be an American adapting The Chronicles of Narnia, The Telegraph (UK), Jan. 10, 2024
• “Make Your Voices Heard,” NarniaWeb.com, April 5, 2025

1. ‘Who is Aslan? Do you know him?’

• Aslan is the King of Beasts, the great untamed Lion, creator of Narnia.
• He’s supernatural and the Son of the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea.
• Some call him an “allegory” for Jesus. That’s not quite what he is.
• Lewis called him a “supposal” for Christ. Think of this as an alter-ego.
• So although slandering Aslan isn’t slandering Jesus, it’s pretty close.
• Very basic to this understanding is that Aslan is a male Lion. He’s a He.
• He’s the King (not queen) of Beasts. He has a mane. He roars and rules.
• It matters, for various theological and natural reasons, that God is a He.

Aslan (left) gives a certain Netflix staff member a not-tame talking-to. (File photo, colorized)

2. ‘Aslan a man?’ What the recent rumor said

• Here’s the original March 31 story from “Nexus Point News”
• Deadline’s confirmation days later on April 3
• NarniaWeb, April 3: Meryl Streep in Talks to Play Aslan
• Flashback: Douglas Gresham Previously Walked Away From “Girl Power Action Movie” Adaptation of The Silver Chair

“I always try to be open-minded especially at an early stage in the process. But sitting here right now, I feel very deflated. The imagery is Aslan’s mane is so important. And the idea of a lion being the king of beasts. And this dropping so close to April 1 is unbearable.”

—X post from GlumPuddle

• Fans are in grief, meltdown, but mostly uproar. Frankly, we’re sick of it.
• Stunt casting will accomplish nothing, irrespective of the actor’s talent.
• “Well, could a female voice a male?” No. This isn’t the Peter Pan play.
• Nor is this a 1990s anime, like Mayumi Tanaka voicing Monkey D. Luffy.
• Aslan is not a man. But he is a male Lion. He needs a deep lion-ish voice.
• That is how Lewis described him. Repeatedly. In all seven of the books.
• There is no cause to consider any woman at any stage for any reason.
• Alas, legacy media lines like this one are already corrupting discourse:

In the novels, Aslan is a talking lion who serves as Narnia’s guardian and a guide for the human children. Generally portrayed as a male, Aslan was created as an allegory for Jesus by author C.S. Lewis.

• “Generally portrayed as a male”? What is this new verbal devilry?
• Aslan is male. He is a he. He has a deep voice. He shakes His mane.
• Let’s be gentle with a writer who may not know better about the basics.
• But also learn from it—these writers know very little about their subjects.
• So when they write on topics you don’t know about, apply discernment!

3. Rest ‘between the paws of the true Aslan’

• No foolish or wicked adaptation can ever steal away the true Narnia
• We think you really can raise a loud hue and cry over this one.
• Contact anybody you can: Netflix, social media, stand on the rooftops.
• Have fun. Swashbuckle. Respect people and even movie companies.
• But let them know, clearly and firmly, that we’ll take no part in this.
• Open discussion

Com station

Top question for listeners

• What’s your reaction to this Narnia casting rumor?

Next on Fantastical Truth

Take two: “Fallen, fallen is Disney the great! The Mouse has become a dwelling place for cringe, a haunt for every unclean secularist agenda, a haunt for every flopbuster franchise, a haunt for every unclean and detestable remake.” Yes, we know the line. But after facing fairy-stale adaptations, flippant super-capers, and the adrift vessels of “Stalled” Wars, how could we restore Disney?