Liam Neeson gives priceless response after learning Meryl Streep is replacing him as Aslan in Narnia reboot
Liam Neeson has delivered an instantly iconic reaction after finding out in real time that Meryl Streep has taken over his mantle as the voice of Aslan.
Neeson famously lent his booming, commanding Irish tones to C.S. Lewis’ regal lion across Walden Media's early 00's big-screen trilogy—The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
However, Netflix and director Greta Gerwig are gearing up to reboot the franchise with an adaptation of The Magician's Nephew, and they turned heads across Hollywood by casting the three-time Oscar winner to voice the Great Lion.
Appearing in an interview with ScreenRant, Neeson was visibly caught off guard when the conversation turned to the new production.
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Not only was Neeson unaware of the casting, he didn’t even realize a new film was in the works: "I'm sorry — this is news to me," Neeson confessed, looking completely blindsided.
"Well, I'm grateful to be the one to break it to you," the interviewer replied.
"Oh. Great," Neeson deadpanned, flashing a look of sheer, forced enthusiasm.
When the host explained that Streep had stepped into the voice booth as Aslan, Neeson’s eyes widened: "Meryl is playing Jesus Christ?" he asked in genuine disbelief, nodding to C.S. Lewis’ famous Christian allegory.
Pausing for a second, Neeson cracked a huge grin and gave his ultimate blessing: "Well, if you're gonna make Christ a lady, nobody better than Meryl."
Streep’s casting as the divine protector of Narnia has already sparked plenty of debate among traditional fantasy purists, but Gerwig’s ambitious vision for The Magician's Nephew is shaping up to be one of Netflix's largest film bets.
The story serves as a prequel to the main Narnia saga, chronicling the very creation of the magical realm by Aslan's song—making Streep's vocal performance central to the entire narrative arc.
"I wanted someone who was profound but not pretentious, who had gravitas but not morose self-seriousness," Gerwig recently told Empire, adding: "Someone who could communicate depth and pathos as well as joy and delight."
Gerwig went on to divulge: "I wanted someone who was older than 70, so there was a wisdom of experience, but who also had the capacity of fresh wonder, like a child. And also to be one of the greatest actors to ever do it. That list is not a long one."
While passing the torch in Hollywood can sometimes lead to diplomatic or awkward soundbites, Neeson’s unfiltered, deadpan reaction proved he holds no hard feelings about handing the mane over to acting royalty.
Gerwig’s The Magician's Nephew is slated to hit cinemas on February 12, 2027, before arriving on Netflix on April 2.
Topics: Netflix, Liam Neeson, Meryl Streep, Greta Gerwig
Phoebe Tonks
