Netflix’s $200M Fantasy Reboot Is Resurrecting 1 of the Greatest Villains in Genre History

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I’m so excited for the new Narnia series coming to Netflix! Knowing Greta Gerwig, fresh off the amazing success of Barbie, is directing gives me real confidence it’ll be something special. But honestly, what has me most thrilled is the return of Jadis, the White Witch. She truly terrified me as a kid, and she was such a fantastic villain. Before we had complex queens in shows like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, Jadis was the one who really captured my imagination – and my fear!

The White Witch wasn’t a typical villain with loud displays of power. Instead, she was frightening because of her subtle and mature cruelty, which stood out in a story aimed at children. Tilda Swinton’s performance in the 2005 film made Jadis a remarkably chilling villain, setting a high standard for portraying evil with sophistication. Now, as the franchise is rebooted, its success will likely depend more on the actress playing the Witch than on any special effects used for Aslan.

White Witch Still Reigns as Narnia’s Most Terrifying Creation

Jadis is a unique villain because she’s not about dramatic displays of evil. Unlike typical villains who rely on being frightening and chaotic, she gains power through politics, a deliberately bland demeanor, and manipulation. She doesn’t have the obvious, terrifying presence of someone like Sauron, or the over-the-top personality of a classic Disney witch.

Today, many villains are given tragic backstories to explain their actions, but Jadis from Narnia is different – she doesn’t need one. She was simply born destructive. The original story and Narnian lore establish that Jadis isn’t human; she comes from a line of powerful Jinn and Giants, making her physically and magically stronger than humans.

Jadis was frightening even before her time in our world. She originally ruled Charn, a universe that was fading away beneath a red sun. Instead of winning a war against her sister, she used a powerful and forbidden magic – known as the “Deplorable Word” – which destroyed all life in her universe except for herself.

Honestly, the White Witch’s line – “I was the only thing living beneath the sun” – really stuck with me. It perfectly captures a narcissistic personality, someone who’d rather be in complete control, even if it means total isolation. Knowing this is key to understanding her impact on Narnia. It wasn’t sadness that caused the endless winter; it was sheer boredom. She didn’t freeze the land because she was heartbroken, she froze it because she was just… waiting for something to happen, and frankly, didn’t care who suffered in the process.

I’ve always been fascinated by tragic villains, and this story is a prime example. She did something desperate – stole a silver apple hoping for eternal life, but it turned out to be a pretty miserable existence. She was exiled to the frozen North for nine centuries, kept away from civilization by some kind of magical barrier. But here’s the really compelling part: she didn’t just survive those years, she changed. She didn’t waste time on regret; she mastered dark magic. And the result? She created a wand that doesn’t just kill, it turns people into living statues – a truly horrifying fate, and way worse than simply dying. It’s a chilling backstory, honestly.

Her “Hundred-Year Winter” perfectly embodies her need for control: if she’s unable to find love, she’ll make sure no one else can experience happiness or growth. Essentially, her guiding principle was, “If I can’t have it, no one can.” This winter isn’t just about power; it’s a masterful display of psychological manipulation, turning cosmic ability into a weapon against others.

I’ve always been struck by how brilliantly the White Witch operates. It’s not just about spells; the moment she wins Edmund over with Turkish Delight is chilling. She instantly sizes him up, realizing he feels overlooked as the middle child, and offers him exactly what he craves – to be treated as grown-up. It’s a shockingly sophisticated kind of manipulation for a children’s story, and it proves her true power isn’t magic, but her ability to exploit someone’s vulnerabilities with incredible finesse, all to get what she wants.

Tilda Swinton’s Performance Made the White Witch Mythic

When Andrew Adamson directed the 2005 film adaptation, he and Tilda Swinton intentionally moved away from the traditional, stereotypical “evil witch” often seen in children’s stories. Instead, they created a character who appears beautiful and otherworldly, but is secretly dangerous and threatening.

Tilda Swinton intentionally portrayed the character not as a mythical being, but as something far more disturbing. She described the character as embodying the essence of a white supremacist, even drawing a comparison to a Nazi. This approach shifted the character’s portrayal from a traditional fairytale villain to a figure of contemporary horror.

Swinton’s remarkable talent came from how she moved and spoke. She didn’t simply walk; she seemed to float. And instead of raising her voice, she often spoke in a whisper. A perfect example is the famous scene where her carriage arrives – the sound completely cuts out, creating a chilling silence that makes the surrounding forest feel lifeless.

Swinton’s voice was recorded very closely, capturing even the smallest breaths and nuances, creating the feeling she was speaking directly to each person in the audience. The lighting also played a key role: at first, a flattering soft light was used, but as the conversation grew more intense, the lighting shifted to create stark shadows that emphasized the bone structure beneath her skin.

Much of the character’s evil nature is shown through how she looks, and the costume design by Isis Mussenden was key to building that feeling. The dress was made with a special “ice crackle” method, combining wool, silk, and lace to look like the natural texture of glacial ice. Importantly, the costume changed to reflect what was happening in the story.

Initially, Jadis appears powerful and intimidating, her very presence embodying the endless winter she commands. However, as spring nears and the snow begins to thaw, her power visibly diminishes. Her crown gets smaller, her clothes become weighed down and messy, and she transforms from a seemingly divine figure into a wild, desperate fighter with a tangled, golden mane.

She portrayed the character’s breakdown flawlessly, hinting at the fear beneath her calm exterior. Her scene at the Stone Table, where she stabs Aslan, wasn’t a victory for her, but a dark, ceremonial act. She demonstrated that a truly memorable villain doesn’t need to be boisterous or over-the-top—they simply need to be completely, and frighteningly, convinced of their own actions.

Gerwig’s Adaptation Has the Chance to Reinvent Her All Over Again

The new Narnia films have a great chance to explore Jadis’s character in more detail than ever before. It seems Greta Gerwig is beginning with The Magician’s Nephew, which tells the story of Jadis’s past – before she was the Queen of Narnia, she was the Empress of Charn. This is a significant shift, as it will allow the reboot to show audiences Jadis’s origins, portraying her as a ruthless and desperate leader battling a civil war with her sister, before she brought the ice to Narnia.

Since the story is still largely unknown, it’s unclear if the new film will focus only on Jadis and her past. However, the existing story offers a truly frightening idea: the Deplorable Word. In the original tales, Jadis admits she didn’t win the war in Charn – she used a single magical word that destroyed all life except for herself. This makes her more than just a typical fantasy villain; she becomes a character representing complete and utter despair.

I’m really fascinated by how Greta Gerwig seems to be hinting at a deeper meaning in the London scenes – it feels like she’s using the destructive forces in the story as a way to talk about the Cold War and the fear of nuclear weapons. It makes so much sense to me that the ‘Deplorable Word’ could represent real-world dangers, and Jadis, as the one wielding it, becomes the source of that terror. I’m also hoping the new film will really delve into the sadness of Jadis being immortal – what a tragic existence that must be!

Jadis escaped Charn and stole a silver apple hoping to live forever. However, a warning predicted that anyone who took the fruit would find both what they wanted and great sadness. Jadis did become immortal, but she couldn’t enjoy it. The apple tasted like ash, and her endless life became empty and miserable, filled only with a craving for more power.

Tilda Swinton’s portrayal suggested a hidden sadness in the character, but this new version promises to explore that tragic depth fully. The reboot’s casting allows for a look at her younger self – proud, fiery, and strong – a stark contrast to the detached figure she becomes later on. Fans are eager to see the complete story of this warrior queen: her ascent to power, the desperate act of burning a world to protect her throne, and her eventual fall into emotional numbness, leading her to freeze another world.

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2025-12-02 05:38