Ben Barnes Offers Advice to the Next Generation of Narnia Stars in Greta Gerwig’s Upcoming Movies [Exclusive]

Ben Barnes, who quite arguably made his name with audiences as Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia films, has been opening up on his time in the fantasy series and shared his thoughts on the upcoming Greta Gerwig-led adaptation of Narnia, which is getting not just a big budget release, but an IMAX exclusive run as well. In an exclusive interview with Collider’s Christina Radish, for his new album Where The Light Gets In, Barnes offered advice for the next generation of Narnia actors. He even teased which role he’d consider taking in the new films. When asked what advice he’d give to the cast of Gerwig’s upcoming project, Barnes drew on his own experience stepping into the magical world of Narnia over a decade ago. He told Collider:

“Advice that I got at the time, which was to just enjoy the adventure. I don’t expect a cast coming into it now as kids to have grown up necessarily with the Narnia books. They may have. But for me, it was very special for that reason. I was stepping into something that I knew from being eight years old, and I really valued and appreciated. One of my skills, as an actor, I think, is to really enjoy the experience of making it, for being in New Zealand or being in Prague and being on these incredible sets and being around incredible people. My best friend in the world, I made on that film.

Barnes continued, adding that the young cast should try to make the most of the opportunity to see the world and to be part of something as big as Narnia. “They should just enjoy the experience of actually making it,” said Barnes. “The rest of it will be what it is. It’ll fall into place, or it won’t. It’ll capture people’s hearts and imaginations, or it won’t. So long as you’re present in the moment and giving it your all, then that’s all you can really offer anyway. So, I wouldn’t deign to offer any advice on how to portray the characters or anything.”

Would Ben Barnes Appear in Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’?

As someone who once brought one of Narnia’s most iconic characters to life, Barnes also pondered whether he’d want to be part of Gerwig’s reimagining. “I thought about that, but there’s not really much for men of my age in those books, so I don’t know. I don’t know what that would be. I could do a voice,” Barnes admitted. When Radish suggested that if anyone could create an interesting role for him, it would be Gerwig, Barnes agreed enthusiastically. “That’s so true,” he said. “I could do a Mr. Tumnus or I could voice Reepicheep the mouse, or something. It’s not a phone call I’ve received yet.”

Gerwig’s Narnia comes out on Thanksgiving 2026 before hitting Netflix on Christmas 2026. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.