One Big Reason That Netflix’s ‘Narnia’ Will Be Different From Disney’s - And It’s A Great Sign
The Chronicles of Narnia is one of the most beloved fantasy books of all time, only after The Lord of the Rings, and with good reason. C.S. Lewis created a world that was easily digestible for young readers but also mature enough to grow with them.
As Greta Gerwig tackles the series years after the original films, we are seeing something new: it follows chronological order, with the release of The Magician's Nephew (2027) before The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. But by doing this, it opens the door to expanding this universe in the best ways possible.
‘The Magician’s Nephew’ Brings Magic to a New World
By starting in chronological order rather than the release order of the books, The Magician's Nephew gives us the origins not only of the franchise but of the land of Narnia itself. Following the adventures of a young Digory and Polly, we see them transported to the Wood Between the Worlds, where ponds lead them to different realities.
This is where we see the introduction of Jadis the White Witch and Aslan, but in a way that mirrors a creation myth. C.S. Lewis was a devout Christian, and those allegories are littered throughout The Chronicles of Narnia. But this is best shown in The Magician's Nephew and The Last Battle, which mirror the story of Adam and Eve and Revelations, respectively.
By establishing an origin for the world of Narnia, we can understand the passage of time from beginning to end, especially between the first and second books. We can also see how the magic of the world is created not as a revelation later in the series but as a key part of the story that has to be told before all others.
‘The Magician’s Nephew’ Reveals the Origins of Aslan and the White Witch
Aside from teasing a franchise that spans multiple universes, The Magician's Nephew also introduces important figures who live in these worlds, such as Aslan and the White Witch. The latter was found in the destroyed city of Charn, where a woman named Jadis killed everyone in that world. Trying to escape, she eventually finds herself in Aslan's world and becomes a mortal enemy who is always trying to kill him.
While Jadis appears more complex than just an evil witch, the parallels to Lucifer are made even more evident by how we are shown more about Aslan. In The Magician's Nephew, Aslan is shown creating Narnia and giving animals the power of speech. He tasks Digory and Polly to help him, and immediately we see how powerful he is and how he demands respect by simply being there.
These origins are key to understanding the larger world of Narnia and also how its greatest hero and villain are more than one-dimensional archetypes. It makes this first film feel incredibly dense without even trying, and Narnia even more special because it was made from love.
The Wardrobe’s Origin Is Revealed in ‘The Magician’s Nephew’
One of the things that makes The Magician's Nephew so compelling is that we see the creation of the iconic wardrobe from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The story shows how remnants of what would become Narnia are later repurposed to create the wardrobe, and even though it's no longer a tree from that realm, the magic is maintained.
The film also explains the origin of the lamppost that Lucy finds in the second book when she first enters Narnia, which actually has a connection to Jadis. But all these origins aren't meant to shock audiences. They show the importance of layering a story and how every small detail has a big role.
What could've been a fun or shocking moment if we backtracked the story now carries a narrative weight that can't be ignored. They've always been more than just Easter eggs, but The Magician's Nephew isn't supposed to be that. Instead, it's a story that foreshadows the middle and end of this narrative because for every creation story there has to be an ending, and we see what that takes the form of in this tale. Now, The Magician's Nephew feels more important than any other entry that could've come first.
