Greta Gerwig's Narnia's White Witch is now Emma Mackey, who previously worked with Gerwig playing one of the Barbies in Barbie. Mackey is also known for leading the Netflix teen comedy Sex Education and being part of the murder mystery ensemble of 2022's Death on the Nile, all demonstrating her wittiness and drama on-screen that will bring this villainess to life.

However, Mackey has her work cut out for her when Tilda Swinton's previous performance as the White Witch in Disney's 2005 adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a Gerwig's Narnia faces many challenges when it comes to the franchise's current status in the cultural zeitgeist, and the old movies do have a lot of heart and evoke fondness among longtime fans. When it comes to the infamous White Witch, Mackey's casting fundamentally could make things more difficult, or still provide something fresh and welcome.

The Narnia Remake's White Witch Star Is Younger Than The Disney Movies' Actor

Mackey Is More Than A Decade Younger Than The Last White Witch Portrayer

Emma Mackey is currently 29 years old, while Tilda Swinton is 64 years old, meaning that the latter was 45 years old when The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was released in 2005. This naturally means that Swinton was bringing a lot more experience to Narnia, while Mackey is also generally known for playing more youthful characters, often with at least some elements of a coming-of-age story to their arcs. One might have expected the White Witch to be cast as a veteran, A-list star who could imbue the legendary character with their own cultural gravitas.

A Younger White Witch Could Present A Challenge For Netflix's Narnia Remake

Jadis Is Centuries Old & Acts Like It

Aslan and the White Witch from the Narnia movies.
Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury

While Mackey has done some amazing work so far, she doesn't quite yet have the same status. Additionally, an older, more experienced star would better capture the je ne sais quoi of Jadis' character, which has to do with her age. The White Witch is immortal and inhabits Narnia for several centuries before she curses it with 100 years of winter and declares herself queen. She obviously doesn't look like she is a thousand years old, but Swinton still the air of Jadis' age and the knowledge she has accumulated in that time with her performance

A composite image of Greta Gerwig in front of a white background with the Pevensie children from The Chronicles of Narnia pointing a sword at something offscreen
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Mackey could deliver something insightful through portraying the White Witch as a younger woman, or an immortal sorceress who wants to appear that way. Greta Gerwig's The Chronicles of Narnia will likely thrive on putting new spins on the iconic characters to prompt us to think about them from another angle. However, it will also probably be difficult for many people to let go of the deadly and very old wisdom of Jadis that Swinton once embodied, another challenge that the reboot faces.