- Primary Subject: The recasting of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
- Key Update: Director Andy Serkis revealed original Aragorn actor Viggo Mortensen's reaction to the casting of Jamie Dornan.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: May 1, 2026
- Quick Answer: Andy Serkis revealed that Viggo Mortensen fully supports Jamie Dornan’s casting as Aragorn in The Hunt for Gollum, giving the replacement his "100 percent" approval.
Andy Serkis recently revealed Viggo Mortensen's reaction to Jamie Dornan's casting as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
It was announced that the Oscar-nominated actor won't be reprising his iconic role in the upcoming Lord of the Rings installment. Instead, Jamie Dornan is taking over the role. While fans were sad that Mortensen is not playing the fan-favorite character again, they are also wondering whether he had an approval on the recasting.
What Does Viggo Mortensen Think of Jamie Dornan's Casting as Aragorn?
In a recent interview on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, Andy Serkis was asked about the recasting of the Aragorn role in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
While he didn't explain the specifics of why the fan-favorite character was recast, he assured fans that Mortensen gave a seal of approval to Dornan's casting in the film.
"I really, really don't want to go into it right now because I do want to save that for, you know, further down the line. I'm gonna save all discussion about casting," Serkis said.
"Other than that, we are thrilled that Jamie's doing it. I mean, we're, you know, we're absolutely thrilled. And, by the way, so is Viggo."
Horowitz replied, "Oh, good, seal of approval, that means a lot," to which Serkis added, "100 percent."
Mortensen has previously commented on his potential return as Aragorn in a 2024 interview. At that time, he was open to reprising his role depending on the material.
"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 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 were right for the character. It would be silly to do it otherwise," he said.
It remains unknown why Mortensen declined to reprise his role in the upcoming installment, but at the very least, he gave his approval to Dornan taking over his character.
What to Expect in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
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Drawing heavily from J.R.R. Tolkien’s footnotes, the story of The Hunt for Gollum bridges the gap between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring. It tracks Aragorn’s dangerous mission to find Gollum before Sauron can extract the Ring's whereabouts from him.
Returning from the previous films are Andy Serkis (as Gollum/Smeagol), Ian McKellen (as Gandalf), Elijah Wood (as Frodo Baggins), and Lee Pace (as Thranduil). Joining the cast are Kate Winslet (as Marigol), Leo Woodall (as Halvard), and the aforementioned Jamie Dornan (taking over the role of Aragorn).
The film is currently slated for release in theaters on December 17, 2027. Serkis also directs the film. Production will take place in New Zealand.
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