5 Actors Perfect for the Role of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum

During the Warner Bros.’ CinemaCon presentation on Tuesday, April 14, several cast members of The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum were revealed.

Andy Serkis will be playing Gollum/Smeagol. That was a given due to the fact that Serkis is also directing the film. What came as a surprise is that Ian McKellen was back as Gandalf, Elijah Wood returns as Frodo Baggins, and Lee Pace is back as Thranduil. Basically we got a bunch of OG The Lord of the Rings cast and one from The Hobbit.

But it’s the other new cast members that people were really interested in. The iconic Kate Winslet will play Marigol and Leo Woodall will play Halvard. And the most anticipated character of them as all aka Strider was revealed. Jamie Dornan, known for The Fall and The Tourist, will be playing the iconic Aragorn in a film that will chronicle the search for Gollum in the years leading up to The Fellowship of The Ring.

Originally played by Viggo Mortensen in the 2001 film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the actor was praised for his performance as the famed ranger and warrior. His Aragorn was brave, kind, passionate, and the right amount of mysterious that made it so no one forgets his introduction in the Prancing Pony or when he dramatically opened those doors in Rohan when everyone thought he was dead.

So no tea, no shade to Dornan, we’ve got a quick list of 5 actors we think would be the perfect Aragorn!

1. Viggo Mortensen because he’s a casting miracle

Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in was a casting miracle. He joined just days before shooting, trained with a sword, performed many of his own stunts, and even carried the sword off set. Peter Jackson said, “He became Aragorn the moment he arrived.” pic.twitter.com/d6axUwTDNY https://t.co/uCFXbDiHUy

— cinesthetic. (@TheCinesthetic) March 17, 2026

2. Viggo Mortensen because he’s everyone’s crush…

Viggo Mortensen’s performance as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings had made him a cinematic crush for many actors. pic.twitter.com/OmSuJYNxJn

— LOTR Universe (@Lordoftheringsu) April 9, 2026

3. Viggo Mortensen because he can carry a tune

Viggo Mortensen created the melody for the Elvish poem Aragorn sings during his coronation (The Oath of Elendil).
The words come straight from the text, but the tune was Mortensen’s own. He recorded an early version on set, and Howard Shore later adapted and orchestrated it for… pic.twitter.com/nviBlM6bXC

— Tolkien World (@TolkienWorldG) February 7, 2026

4. Viggo Mortensen because he’s dreamy with that hair

No one but Viggo Mortensen can be Aragorn. https://t.co/YxtoiD7AUp pic.twitter.com/c4a07IZndc

— LOTR Universe (@Lordoftheringsu) April 5, 2026

5. Viggo Mortensen because he understands the heart of the character

Viggo Mortensen, el actor que interpretó a Aragorn en las películas, explica por qué cree que nunca habrá una trilogía como la de El Señor de los Anillos:pic.twitter.com/6Q4V6bZ2u6

— Imladris (@__Imladris__) March 13, 2026

All jokes aside, Mortensen defined the movie version of Aragorn. And while it’s going to be hard for Dornan to endear people to his Aragorn, there’s going to be a whole new generation of fans entering the LOTR space. There always are, believe it or not. And as someone who wants more people to fall in love with this world, maybe Dornan will endear new fans to him and his Aragorn. Or maybe he’ll just do a good job. And maybe he’ll surprise people in the same manner that Heath Ledger did in The Dark Knight.

Either way, good luck Jamie Dornan and welcome to The Lord of the Rings family.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is currently set to be released in theaters on December 17, 2027.

Are you excited for Jamie Dornan as Aragorn? Let us know in the comments section below!