Summary

• Casting slightly older actors as the Pevensie children in the Chronicles of Narnia reboot is crucial for handling complex conflicts believably.
• Actors like Elliot Grihault, Florence Hunt, and Lexi Rabe fit well as Peter, Susan, and Lucy, respectively.
• Actors like Walker Scobell, Roman Griffin Davis, or Iain Armitage for Edmund and Eustace would showcase initially unlikable yet charming personalities.

Casting the children of the Pevensie family well will be one of the most important tasks for Greta Gerwig and her team to accomplish with the reboot of The Chronicles of Narnia. Following the cultural phenomenon of Barbie, the acclaimed director was contracted to write and direct the first two movies in Netflix's reboot of C.S. Lewis' classic fantasy series. While some actors who often work with Gerwig would be well-suited to the roles of the older characters, the Pevensie children and their cousin Eustace are likely to be played by relatively unknown younger actors.

However, Gerwig's Narnia should cast the children as slightly older than they are in the books, as the previous Narnia movies did. Netflix's adaptation would benefit from repeating how Disney cast the characters because making the Pevensie children only a few years older makes it more plausible that they can handle the conflicts depicted in the story. Yet the Pevensies and Eustace still being children is important, as themes of childhood and innocence are essential. Each child’s distinct personality serves a different role in the story because of how they each become one of Narnia's heroes.

5 Elliot Grihault As Peter Pevensie

Alternates: Levi Miller & Cory Gruter Andrew

Grihault's thoughtfulness on screen would be a strength in playing the hero of a story inherently about heroism and goodness.

Peter is the most classically heroic of the Pevensie siblings and the de facto leader. As he is played by William Moseley in the Disney movies, Peter wants to be a soldier and a hero but is understandably terrified when these responsibilities do fall upon him. The actor playing Peter needs to show his uncertainty when he is first thrust into the role of Narnia's leader, but also how he faces his fears and eventually becomes accustomed to being a king. By the time of Prince Caspian, Peter is a natural leader but still struggles with the pressure to save the Narnians.

Elliot Grihault's arc as Lucerys Velaryon in House of the Dragon can be seen as the same as Peter's journey but cut short by Luke's brutal death at Aemond Targaryen's hands. Luke is hesitant to become the Lord of Driftmark because of the enormous responsibility of upholding his family's legacy, as well as the circling questions about his and his brothers' paternity. While his brother Jacaerys is committed to preparing to be king, Luke appears to be the more contemplative of the two. It is a comparison that recalls Peter and Edmund's different personalities, suggesting that Grihault might even be better at playing Edmund.

However, without this comparison, Grihault's thoughtfulness on screen would be a strength in playing the hero of a story inherently about heroism and goodness. Alternatively, Levi Miller played a similarly wide-eyed, unexpected hero in Pan, but has since played more mature characters in A Wrinkle in Time and American Exit, demonstrating a good combination of character traits that could be applied to Peter. On the other hand, Cory Gruter-Andrew's quiet stoicism as Cole in Anne With An E also makes him perfect to play the eldest Pevensie.

4 Florence Hunt As Susan Pevensie

Alternates: Mckenna Grace & Abby Ryder Forston

Susan's characterization was drastically changed from the books for previous Narnia movies: In the books, she hates battle, while in the movies, she is a skilled soldier with a hand in many of the action scenes. Regardless of how Gerwig uses Susan's archery skills in the plot, Susan's sophisticated persona and skepticism are an important part of the story. Susan is the most logical of the Pevensies, serving as a direct foil to her sister Lucy's unwavering faith in what she cannot see.

Florence Hunt perhaps hasn't had the time to show off her talents in Bridgerton, because she is the youngest of all the Bridgerton siblings and has little screen time while the story focuses on the older Bridgertons. However, Netflix has hardly failed to find talented actors to play the older characters and Hunt is likely just as talented, all the while gaining more experience from being on the set of Bridgerton. Hunt also played a young Nimue in Netflix's dark Arthurian fantasy Cursed. Although these brief scenes were long ago, Hunt at least has some experience of acting out dangerous fantasy situations.

Because of her association in pop culture with the youngest sibling character, people might think of Hunt as the perfect choice for Lucy; however, she is 17 years old when Susan is probably supposed to be 14 or 15, even younger in the books. Gerwig might also consider Mckenna Grace to play Susan due to her wide-ranging genre and character versatility, or Abby Ryder Forston, the star of the intergenerational comedy-drama Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Any of these actresses with the capability to play a thoughtful young woman who questions everything could be Susan.

3 Walker Scobell As Edmund Pevensie

Alternates: Jacob Tremblay & Blue Landau