Posted by: @rilianix

For me, it’s not his gender, but the effect he has on others. That moment when everything falls still. The awe and trembling. The deep goodness and wildness. The way Lucy, Edmund, or whoever, just knows he’s near. That’s what makes him “Christ-like.” To me, a female voice, or a female-presenting Aslan, doesn’t automatically take that away. Reverence isn’t about vocal pitch or masculinity; it’s about presence, power, sacrifice, and love.

True — and as I've already said a few times, I wouldn't be opposed, on principle, to a feminine divine figure featuring in a different fantasy universe, and quite possibly having that same sense of power and presence and sacrifice and love, as you say.

(I don't get that kind of vibe from Galadriel, incidentally — she is impressive but not divine, and Tolkien didn't intend her to be. It would be interesting to see an adaptation of the early parts of The Silmarillion, featuring the Valar, who are not actual gods and goddesses — Tolkien was a devout Catholic! — but they are certainly divine and are pretty much the equivalent of archangels, and half of them are female, including Varda (also known as Elbereth), whom the Elves especially revere. But that's getting off topic. As is the fact that Dickens' Ghost of Christmas Past, despite being feminised in some adaptations, is canonically male, if you read the book. But he isn't really meant to be divine either.)

And it's not impossible that a female version of Aslan could have that sense of awesomeness. The Talking Beasts podcast goes into that as well, including the fact that lionesses in our world are actually more aggressive than male lions and they do just about all the hunting! But... I think it would still feel like a pointless and unnecessary change to me, because the underlying purpose of the Narnia stories is not to make the argument that the divine can be feminine. (Whatever one's personal view on that matter may be.)

If that really is what Gerwig is doing — and we don't know yet — then that's called taking a classic story and making a huge change to it for no good reason other than to promote a personal (and controversial) religious stance that actually has nothing to do with the original story, and is definitely not something the original author would have intended or approved of. And that in itself makes me uncomfortable. I mean, if one wants to make a film set in a fantasy universe that includes a female representation of God / Christ... then why not do an original story, rather than changing Narnia??  

Posted by: @karisa

Coming at it as a child, Liam’s performance always felt both like he was dangerous and simultaneously the highest and most righteous authority there is, who will equally be stern with you when need be and other times be the warm comforter that Christ is to us. What I felt was always pure love, the holiest and realest kind of love.

Well, I'm actually quite moved and delighted to know that the Walden / Liam Neeson version of Aslan DOES have that effect on some viewers! ("God moves in a mysterious way", and all that?? ) It makes me feel a bit better about a movie that I have never been able to bring myself to like. Perhaps I should watch it again some time.

It is deeply interesting and enjoyable to have such a respectful discussion where we've all got different ideas to share, but we still don't know exactly what this new adaptation IS going to do with Aslan. I keep hoping we'll get some more official news soon. 

I thought Liam Neeson was basically fine as Aslan's voice, not particularly great, not particularly terrible. And, honestly, I imagine if Meryl Streep is cast, that's how she'll sound too. If a scarier Aslan is what we want, well, Streep can sound scary but then so can Neeson. I wouldn't assume that's what they're going for just yet. 

Honestly, even if I were forced at gunpoint to portray Aslan as a lioness, Meryl Streep wouldn't be my first choice (though I'd interested in hearing her audition.) Even if I were limiting myself to famous older actresses who have worked with Gerwig before, I'd still prefer Helen Mirren. I think her voice is a little more naturally intimidating than Streep's. 

Anyway, I seem to recall Gerwig describing the writing process for this adaptation as like a collaboration between C. S. Lewis and her eight-year-old self. Maybe when she first read the book at eight, she thought the character of Aslan would make more sense as female (similar to how Andrew Adamson imagined a big battle scene when he read LWW as a kid.) I know some Little Women fans were upset that she made the character of Prof. Bhaer younger and more conventionally handsome than he was in the book just because that's what she wanted for the love interest. But FWIW every LW movie except the 1933 one does the same thing and a lot of young readers have wished for the heroine's love interest to be attractive. I've never heard of any young readers wishing for Aslan to be a lioness before.