332. Why Do We Fight Like Narnians for the Stories We Love?

At first we tried to be optimistic about Netflix’s new Narnia-inspired movie.

Even when that rumor first dropped in April 2025 that claimed Meryl Streep was “in talks” to voice Aslan.

Then last week brought us this grave news that Netflix and/or director Greta Gerwig did indeed cast Streep, a female actress, to voice the male King of Narnia, Aslan.

They included high-res art of a glammed-up lion with obvious chimera creature textures and colors inspired by 1970s music celebrities.

They boasted about the new movie’s “rock and roll” influence. They showed preview images featuring Jadis in a glittery short-skirt go-go outfit squalling into the streets of 1950s London.

And now Narnia fans are all in uproar over these perversions of The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis.

With courteous words or else hard knocks as the warrior’s only language, how then can we join the fight like true Narnians?

Join this special edition episode with an abridged version of our Sept. 21, 2026 audio-livestream on X (fka Twitter).

Once a King or Queen in Narnia, always a King or Queen …

Queen Bethel the Valiant

Bethel McGrew is a freelance writer based in Michigan. Her work has appeared in First Things, the Wall Street Journal, the Lamp, and more. Follow her on Substack at Further Up.

King Zackary the Just