More Chronicles of Narnia movies are on the way, and this could open the door to future adaptations that carefully break C.S. Lewis' biggest rule for this fantasy world. Lewis' novels have been loved for generations, and many have been adapted to the screen several times over. Typically, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the first to be considered for an adaptation, and Greta Gerwig's movie series is sure to include this story as well. However, it might be interesting if future Narnia movies forged a path all their own.

fantasy world in The Chronicles of Narnia.

The Chronicles Of Narnia Franchise Needs To Break C.S. Lewis' No Adults Rule

A New Story Could Take Lewis' Ideas Further

Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia came with a heartbreaking rule—adults cannot travel to Narnia since they no longer possess the innocence of true childlike imagination. Even Susan Pevensie eventually grew up and stopped believing in Narnia despite all the adventures she had there. There are few exceptions to this lack of belief. The Professor, Digory Kirke, still believes that Narnia exists, but he doesn't have access to this fantasy world as an adult. This has always been a somewhat bitter reality in the story, especially for those who have grown up since falling in love with Narnia.

While this rule shouldn't be thrown out entirely, seeing a new Narnia story that finds a way around it would be interesting. Of course, this wouldn't be an adult version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe—it would instead be a brand new story with a fresh perspective. There may even be ways to use Lewis' own canon to the idea that adults could go to Narnia. After all, while Professor Kirke could never revisit this land as an adult, he went to live there permanently after his death. A similar angle could be taken with a new Narnia movie or TV show with a fresh new perspective.

A Narnia Adaptation About Adults Would Offer A Fresh Perspective On the Story

C.S. Lewis Even Considered A More Adult Story

Narnia is all about childlike innocence, but the story also has some darkness. The Professor went to live there after his death, and even some of the Pevensies died in canon and spent eternity in Aslan's new realm (in The Last Battle). If a new story saw adult characters explore this afterlife version of Narnia, it would provide a fresh new perspective on the story that has yet to be explored on screen. Sure, it would be a bit darker and a touch more adult, but the fact that so many Narnia fans are now adults makes this all the more fitting.

Lewis himself set up such a tale. Susan Pevensie stopped returning to Narnia in the books because she got caught up in adulthood and no longer believed in this fantasy world. However, Lewis later explained that there would still have been hope for Susan to one day reunite with her family in Narnia, but that this would have been a more adult-aimed story (which is why it never got fully fleshed out). This could be a perfect launching point for an adult-aimed Narnia story, which could see Susan deal with the tragic death of her family and ultimately find her way back to childlike wonder—but as an adult.

How Breaking Narnia's Biggest Rule Could Reshape The Series' Themes

Can Adults Reclaim Their Childlike Wonder?

A Narnia project following an adult, whether Susan or a brand new character, would be aimed more at the struggle of reality, while childlike innocence worked to emerge from the background.

The themes of such a spinoff movie or TV show would obviously be quite different from the Narnia books themselves. Lewis' books explore a sort of magic that inherently exists within children that makes accessing new worlds effortless. The darker tones of war, struggle, and death lie in the background, looked at through the innocent lens of children. A Narnia project following an adult, whether Susan or a brand new character, would be aimed more at the struggle of reality, while childlike innocence worked to emerge from the background. Of course, this story is precisely what many adult Narnia fans would need.