Casting Saoirse Ronan As Adult Susan Could Solve One Of Narnia’s Biggest Ending Problems
Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Chronicles of Narnia reboot faces several challenges, including issues with the story of the Pevensie siblings. However, casting Saoirse Ronan as adult Susan could be a game-changer. The beloved director of Barbie is set to write and direct at least two movies in the series, with Jason Isaacs hinting that Gerwig may not start with the Pevensie family.
Susan, in particular, has a problematic storyline in the original book series. She is known for never returning to Narnia after the events of Prince Caspian, resulting in an unresolved and unsatisfying conclusion. By casting Ronan as an adult Susan, the character’s ending could be reimagined to show her life after Narnia, adding depth to her story and fixing a long-standing issue with the series.
While Ronan would have been perfect to play teenage Susan, she has now aged out of the role. However, she could still bring depth to the character by playing an adult Susan in brief scenes bookending the Narnia movies. This would provide a unique framing device, showing her living a normal life and reflecting on her past experiences.
Ronan’s casting would not only do justice to Susan’s character but also provide a nuance to her storyline. Instead of a simplistic, unsatisfying ending, her character could be given a more complex and thoughtful conclusion. This would be a fitting tribute to the beloved franchise and Ronald Dahl’s work.
Only a few scenes with an adult Susan, skillfully portrayed by Ronan, could fix her entire story. Her not returning to Narnia doesn’t have to be a punishment; she could be a nuanced adult figure who has something to lose in the real world and whose ending conveys a bittersweet message about growing up and moving on. With talented creatives like Gerwig and Ronan, it is possible for The Chronicles of Narnia to finally do justice to Susan’s character.