Picture Credits: Getty Images / Various Actor Agencies
Netflix’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew boasts a star-studded cast, including three-time Academy Award-winning Meryl Streep and none other than James Bond himself, Daniel Craig. In this post, we give you a comprehensive overview of the complete cast and delve into the character descriptions.
Unlike other adaptations of C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, which usually begin with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Greta Gerwig’s film adapts The Magician’s Nephew, the first story in the series chronologically. It serves as a creation story for the world of Narnia, depicting how Jadis, aka The White Witch, came to rule over the land. This movie is the first time that The Magician’s Nephew has been adapted to the big screen.
Now, we should note that the order in which Netflix published its UK press release certainly suggests the cast’s prominence in the running order. Their list reads:
“David McKenna, Beatrice Campbell, Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan, Ciarán Hinds, with Daniel Craig and Meryl Streep, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Denise Gough, Susan Wokoma”
Who else stars in Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew? And who are they playing? Here’s our fill cast list and character breakdown as of May 2026:
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David McKenna as Digory Kirke
Picture Credit: Susannah Norris Agency / MARK CAMPBELL/MCPIX
Despite being a child actor, David McKenna has already made big moves in the industry. Most notably, he portrayed Piggy in the BBC’s adaptation of Lord of the Flies (a miniseries now streaming on Netflix). His performance in that series was very well-received by critics and casual viewers, seeing him get nominated for a Gotham TV Award. He’s now one of the most acclaimed young actors in the industry.
As you may recall, we were the first to scoop the identities of the two leads after their public appearances, as filming kicked off back in August 2025.
McKenna appears to be the perfect casting for Digory Kirke, one of the two central child protagonists in The Magician’s Nephew. A child from London, Digory was the first child boy to pass through ‘The Wood Between the Worlds’ and enter Narnia. Thanks to his curiosity (which often lends itself to recklessness), Digory’s actions have one of the biggest impacts on the creation of Narnia — look no further than when he wakes Jadis, the Witch, in Charn.
Beatrice Campbell as Polly Plummer
PIctures Sylvia Young Agency / UNBOXPHD
Beatrice Campbell plays Polly, the second child protagonist who gets swept up into the portals with Digory. Unlike McKenna, Campbell hasn’t led many big projects, but she notably appeared in Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme (2025), a film starring Tom Hanks, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Bill Murray. Suffice to say, she’s already been surrounded by a glut of legendary Hollywood names.
Where Digory is curious and reckless, his best friend and neighbour Polly is cautious, sensible, and a voice of reason when they get caught up in the madness of portal travel. Well, not that Digory tends to listen to her, but she tries nevertheless.
Emma Mackey as Jadis (The White Witch)
Photo by Unique Nicole/Getty Images for WIF
Emma Mackey, known for her roles in Sex Education and Death on the Nile, faces a significant challenge following Tilda Swinton’s brilliant portrayal of the White Witch in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005). However, Mackey has the advantage of playing the Witch from the outset of her story as depicted in the novels.
Overall, The Magician’s Nephew is a movie about Jadis, the White Witch, as much as it is about anything else. It serves as an origin story for her character, setting the pieces in place for her to be the main villain and tyrannical ruler of Narnia in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. When Digory and Polly first happen upon Jadis, she’s the self-proclaimed final Queen of Charn, a parallel world to Narnia that’s desolate but for herself. Jadis is asleep and can only be woken by the ringing of a bell. When she wakes, her goal is to find a new world to be ruled over… and she sets her sights on Narnia.
Daniel Craig as Uncle Andrew Ketterley
Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Netflix
Daniel Craig is one of the immediately noticeable names attached to the picture. Best known for his portrayal of movie icon James Bond, he’s also highly regarded for his role in the Knives Out movies on Netflix.
Andrew Ketterley is the eccentric magician referred to in the movie’s title. To call him a proper magician would be quite generous; he dabbles in the mystic arts. He’s certainly not a sorcerer on the level of Jadis. He nevertheless manages to create the magic ‘rings’ that allow Polly and Digory to travel between worlds by way of the ‘Wood Between the Worlds.’ But he’s fuelled by cowardice and would rather see children undertake the real adventures ahead of him.
Carey Mulligan as Mabel Kirke
Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Carey Mulligan most recently appeared on Netflix in BEEF Season 2. In Narnia, she plays Mabel, the chronically ill mother of Digory Kirke and sister of magician Andrew Ketterley. Unable to look after herself, and with her husband away for work, she lives in London with her siblings, Letitia and Andrew. Mabel’s journey in The Magician’s Nephew is one of the most emotionally charged arcs. Other well-known roles for the actress include Suffragette, Drive, and Never Let Me Go.
Meryl Streep (likely the voice of Aslan)
Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Three-time Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia!, The Devil Wears Prada) is easily the most esteemed name attached to Narnia. Unlike the other cast members we’ve mentioned, she has not yet been officially announced for a role, but all signs point to her being the voice of Aslan, the omnipotent lion-ruler of Narnia. Aslan’s voice is already synonymous with legendary Hollywood voices, having previously been voiced by Liam Neeson. This, as we’ve already extensively covered, is one of the more controversial castings in Netflix’s Narnia movie.
Aslan is portrayed as a divine figure throughout all Narnia books. Creator C.S. Lewis was big on biblical references, and his lion Aslan possessed all the hallmarks of a God: he created Narnia through song, he gives beasts sentience, and he watches over Narnia over centuries. In The Magician’s Nephew, we witness Aslan’s creation of Narnia.
Denise Gough (likely playing Letitia Ketterley)
Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for BFI
Denise Gough (Too Close, Andor) was confirmed to appear in Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew in late 2025. Netflix has not officially confirmed her role, but NarniaWeb notes that it’s likely she’s playing middle sibling Letitia Ketterley, who is Digory Kirke’s aunt and the sister of his uncle Andrew and Mabel Ketterley. Letitia was among the first to see the White Witch Jadis when she first appeared in the streets of London — although she wasn’t exactly intimidated by her arrival.
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Francis
Picture Credit: Actor’s Agency
Earlier this month, we reported that Olivier Award-winning actor Kobna Holdbrook-Smith has officially joined the cast of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. He’s already well-regarded for his roles in family hits, not least Paddington 2, Mary Poppins Returns, and Wonka. While Netflix has not announced who he’s playing, we believe that he’s tackling the role of Francis, aka Frank the Cabby, a British taxi driver who later becomes one of the most important figures in Narnia history.
Ciarán Hinds (Undisclosed role)
Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
The casting of Ciarán Hinds marks Game of Thrones alum entering Narnia. Hinds previously portrayed Mance Rayder in the HBO fantasy. Netflix is yet to confirm who he’s playing in Narnia.
Susan Wokoma (Undisclosed role)
Picture via IMDb
Enola Holmes star Susan Wokoma is confirmed for Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, although her role has not yet been confirmed. There are rumors circulating that she could portray Queen Helen, the wife of King Frank, and mother of all the original Kings and Queens of Narnia. Right now, we cannot confirm that this is true. Her casting was first reported back in mid-February 2026.
Ava Jager as Violet
The Magician’s Nephew novel plays it coy on whether Polly has siblings; it certainly doesn’t provide details. However, the movie is set to give at least three sisters screen time. One of her sisters is set to by played by 17-year-old actress Ava Jager, who’s a relatively unknown actress.
Jager is best known for Apple TV+’s Masters of the Air and an appearance in a Doctor Who Time Fracture TV commercial. Given that Jager is listed as a third sister, we can presume that there’s two other young performers to be cast.
Samantha Spiro (voicing a Beaver)
Picture: IMDb
A multi-Olivier Award-winning actress is already known for one fantasy project: she played Melessa Tarly in Game of Thrones. Her role in Narnia is significantly different, seeing her provide the voice for a beaver. There are no further details on her role yet.
Gerard Monaco (Undisclosed role)
Picture: IMDb
British actor Gerard Monaco has had a long career, appearing in films like Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and more recently My Fault: London.
Netflix viewers will recognise Monaco from his role as Collins in 3 Body Problem.
James Murray (Undisclosed role)
Picture: IMDb
James Murray has joined Narnia in an undisclosed role. The British actor already has a distinguished Netflix career, playing Prince Andrew in 13 episodes of Netflix’s The Crown, during the show’s 1990s period.
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew releases in theatres on February 12, 2027, before landing on Netflix on April 2, 2026.
