Greta Gerwig’s The Chronicles of Narnia can improve upon an issue with the Pevensie children in the later books. Netflix’s upcoming adaptations have Gerwig directing and writing two Narnia films so far, but all the installments in C.S. Lewis’ beloved fantasy series may ultimately be adapted if the first two prove to be a success. Prior to Netflix acquiring the rights, Disney adapted The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

The four Pevensie children–Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy–are at the heart of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as they discover the magical land of Narnia, help save it, and become the realm’s kings and queens. All four Pevensies return to Narnia in Prince Caspian, while only Edmund and Lucy return in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, along with their cousin, Eustace Scrubb. The Pevensies are a significant reason why The Chronicles of Narnia books continue to endure, but Netflix can make the siblings’ journey even better.

Netflix’s Chronicles Of Narnia Movies Can Finally Fix The Later Books’ Pevensie Problem

They Are Missed In The Later Books

Despite having prominent roles in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the Pevensies are mostly absent from the books that were published later in the series. After Prince Caspian, Peter and Susan do not return to Narnia because Aslan tells them that they are “getting too old,” and Edmund and Lucy are told the same after the events of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Peter, Edmund, and Lucy all return to Narnia by the end of the series, but they are no longer a focal point of the story.

Since she is no longer considered
“a friend of Narnia,”
Susan does not get to return to the magical realm with her siblings in
The Last Battle
.

The Pevensies’ absence is one of the reasons why the later books are generally considered to not be as strong as the earlier installments. The later books focus more on other characters, and while the Pevensies’ cousin Eustace is one of them, it is not the same as having one of the original Pevensies as a main character. Without the Pevensies at the forefront of The Chronicles of Narnia, part of what makes the earlier books special is undeniably missing.

How Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Reboot Can Solve The Pevensies’ Absence

There Are Several Ways To Solve These Problems

If Netflix makes more than two Chronicles of Narnia movies, with Gerwig ideally continuing to be involved, the reboot could better address the Pevensies’ absence. Eustace and the other prominent characters in the later books need to be made more compelling, so the absence of the Pevensie siblings is not as noticeable. For the later published stories that the Pevensies are in, their roles should be expanded on from the source material, which could make their return in The Last Battle even more impactful.

Ensuring the Pevensies have a presence in all of Netflix’s
The Chronicles of Narnia
films, whether that presence is prominent or subtle, can go a long way in fixing the issue the books encountered.

If The Magician’s Nephew is the first story to be adapted, the Pevensies can be foreshadowed through clever Easter eggs and references that will pay off later in the series, as they cannot appear in this prequel since they have not been born yet. Ensuring the Pevensies have a presence in all of Netflix’s The Chronicles of Narnia films, whether that presence is prominent or subtle, can go a long way in fixing the issue the books encountered. It is one of many ways that the developing adaptations have ample potential and can even enhance Lewis’ timeless novels.