Summary
Actor Viggo Mortensen has commented on whether he would return forThe Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, and his words prove that he must come back for a new movie, even if it’s not this one. Mortensen played Aragorn in Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringsmovies, andthis character should be a prominent figure in the upcomingHunt for Gollum. However, since the story is set just before the events ofFellowship of the Ring, the actor may now be too old to play this version of Aragorn. Still, a gem like Mortensen could never be left out of the franchise entirely.
Jackson and Andy Serkis (who played Gollum in the director’s previousLord of the Ringsmovies) have joined forces forThe Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, which will tell the story of Gandalf and Aragorn’s search for Gollum between the events ofThe HobbitandFellowship of the Ring.ThoughHunt for Gollumhas been confirmed, there is still no word regarding casting, aside from Serkis' return to play the titular character. It would certainly be preferred for Ian McKellen to play Gandalf again and for Mortensen to reprise his role as Aragorn, but the latter actor is wholly aware of the issue here.
10 Lord Of The Rings Characters Who Can Return In The Hunt For Gollum
Major characters including Aragorn, Gandalf, Galadriel, and more could return for The Hunt for Gollum, depicting another quest to find the One Ring.
Viggo Mortensen’s Comments About Hunt For Gollum Prove He Has A Deep Respect For His LOTR Character
Such Integrity Is Precisely What Is Needed In The Lord Of The Rings Movies
Mortensen was asked in an interviewwhether he would be willing to return forThe Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, and the actor made his love for the movie franchise clear. He said he would happily work with creative minds like Jackson and Serkis again and enjoyed playing the character enough to return. However, Mortensen also noted that his age would likely be an issue and that he would only return if his current age made sense for the character:
“Sure. I don’t know exactly what the story is, I haven’t heard. Maybe I’ll hear about it eventually. I like playing that character. I learned a lot playing the character. I enjoyed it a lot. I would only do it if I was right for it in terms of, you know, the age I am now and so forth. I would only do it if I was right for the character. It would be silly to do it otherwise.”
This isn’t the first time Mortensen had stipulations about returning to play Aragorn.He reportedly turned down Jackson’s offer to appear inThe Hobbitsince he found that it didn’t serve the characteror the legendarium. Overall,Moretensen’s integrity regarding his Aragorn roleis encouraging. It demonstrates how much he cares forThe Lord of the Ringsand the part he played in Jackson’s franchise. For precisely this reason, Mortensen must return for aLord of the Ringsmovie someday since his passion and care allow on-screen adaptations to connect with Tolkien enthusiasts.
Mortensen could be aged down with CGI inThe Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, but Serkis would have to decide if this would be worth the added cost.
Aragorn May Need To Be Recast For Hunt For Gollum, But A LOTR Sequel Is Still Possible
Viggo Mortensen Must Return To The Lord Of The Rings Someday
Mortensen is correct that it wouldn’t make much sense for him to play Aragorn at this point inLord of the Rings' timeline. The actor was 43 whenFellowship of the Ringswas released, which aligns well with the age Aragorn would have appeared to be during these events (of course, he was really much older). Now, however, Mortensen is in his 60s and naturally looks older than he did in Jackson’s movies. SinceHunt for Gollumis a prequel,his filling the role wouldn’t work without a lot of CGI interference.
Jackson and Serkis may be better off recasting Aragorn this time around, but that doesn’t mean Mortensen couldn’t return for future Lord of the Rings movies.
Jackson and Serkis may be better off recasting Aragorn this time around, but that doesn’t mean Mortensen couldn’t return for futureLord of the Ringsmovies.The characters' story continues well beyond the ending ofLord of the Rings: The Return of the King, since he reigned as King Elessar for over a century. Mortensen’s comments indicate that he would be willing to return to the role if it made sense, and this seems like the most viable option. Given the actor’s appreciation for the role and theLord of the Ringsfranchise as a whole, it seems a waste not to make such an adaptation happen.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
Cast
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is an upcoming fantasy adventure film that delves into the story of Gollum’s obsession with the One Ring.
