New Lord of the Rings Rumor Hints at Fan-Favorite Character Being Recast for 2027 Sequel

A decade after the conclusion of the Hobbit film trilogy, the Lord of the Rings franchise is gearing up for its return to the big screen. Set to hit theaters in December 2027 is The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, which will be directed by Gollum himself, Andy Serkis. The spinoff is an interquel that takes place during the events of The Fellowship of the Ring, chronicling Gandalf’s quest to find Gollum in the aftermath of learning Bilbo was in possession of the One Ring. Since The Hunt for Gollum will feature fan-favorite legacy characters from the original trilogy (Ian McKellen has already hinted Frodo and Gandalf appear), fans are wondering if any of those actors will return to reprise their roles. Unfortunately, it seems at least one isn’t coming back.

According to Knight Edge Media, Viggo Mortensen will not return as Aragorn in The Hunt for Gollum. The character “will be recast with a younger actor.” It is important to keep in mind that this has not been officially confirmed by Serkis or anyone else involved with the making of the film, so for the time being, fans should take this information with a grain of salt.

Recasting Aragorn Makes Sense, But It’s Very Risky

How to portray Aragorn in The Hunt for Gollum was always going to be quite the dilemma for the filmmakers, but assuming this rumor pans out, going the recast route may make the most sense. Mortensen is now in his late 60s, which means digital de-aging would have to be utilized to make him appear as he was in The Fellowship of the Ring. While that technology is very impressive and has only gotten better with time, it still isn’t a fool-proof method. For starters, the process is expensive, so it would add a lot of money to what should already be a sizable production budget (studios are looking for ways to cut back costs in a changing box office climate). Then there’s the matter of having the effects hold up for the duration of the film. It’s one thing to use de-aging in one short flashback sequence, but Aragorn should have a main role in The Hunt for Gollum.

While recasting Aragorn is sound logistically, that approach has a ton of risks too. Mortensen is synonymous with the role of Aragorn. Though he was a last-minute replacement during production of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it’s impossible to see anyone else play the character. Mortensen’s shadow will loom large over whoever Serkis casts to replace him, and it’ll be difficult for fans to not make comparisons between the two. If viewers don’t buy the new actor as Aragorn, The Hunt for Gollum could be derailed before it even has a chance to make an impression with moviegoers.

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To be fair, there are plenty of examples of high-profile roles being recast. Characters like James Bond, Batman, and Spider-Man have been portrayed by a variety of actors, with many of those iterations being well-received. Fans wholly embraced Mark Ruffalo stepping in for Edward Norton as Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is all to say, recasting iconic characters is not a new phenomenon in Hollywood, and there’s precedent for it working. At the same token, there are also instances where recasting didn’t pan out as well as the filmmakers would have hoped. Solo: A Star Wars Story starred Alden Ehrenreich as a young Han Solo, and while Ehrenreich’s performance was the least of that film’s problems, audiences rejected it and it’s the only Star Wars movie to bomb at the box office.

It remains to be seen which side of the spectrum young Aragorn falls on (again, assuming this rumor pans out), but fans can take solace in the fact that the Hunt for Gollum creative team is passionate about the material and will do everything they can to make sure the spinoff is a worthwhile addition to the film series. Joining Serkis behind the scenes is the classic Lord of the Rings braintrust of Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, who are all serving as producers (Walsh and Boyens also co-wrote the script). Everyone involved is taking their time so that The Hunt for Gollum is as great of a movie as it can be. Knowing how beloved and important this franchise is, Serkis and Co. will treat the recasting of Aragorn with all the respect it requires.

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