The original Lord of the Rings trilogy movies are considered some of the greatest fantasy movies of all time for a reason. While the movies benefitted from the genius of J.R.R. Tolkien’s stories, director Peter Jackson brought something to the films that no one—including Jackson himself, in projects since—has been able to replicate. That includes the stellar cast, who feel essentially untouchable when it comes to recasting any of the roles. Nevertheless, recasting the original trilogy has become a popular topic of late, particularly because of the upcoming movie The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
Much of that conversation has regarded how impossible it is to consider other actors for these roles, which is likely why Elijah Wood is heavily rumored to be reprising his role as Frodo, Ian McKellan is back as Gandalf, and there has been backlash to the idea of casting Aragorn with anyone other than Viggo Mortensen. The other issue is that, with the original cast, most (but not all) were relative newcomers, with no major blockbusters in their filmography. Even so, if it was absolutely essential to recast those movies in the 2020s, these actors would make close seconds.
Tom Holland as Frodo Baggins
Elijah Wood and his piercing blue eyes have defined the character of Frodo Baggins since The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring hit theaters in 2001, which makes it difficult to accept the idea of anyone else playing the character—and Wood himself, and the casting directors for The Hunt for Gollum, seem to agree. Were a recast required, however, Tom Holland would be a solid option. Holland is currently best known for his role as Peter Parker in the MCU’s Spider-Man movies, including the upcoming film Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
In that role, Holland has proven his ability to be a charming, sweet, and even innocent character, while also handling emotionally heavy scenes. In fact, that was perhaps best proven in the most recent Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home, when Peter tragically witnesses the death of Aunt May. Holland would therefore have the acting chops needed to pull off Frodo’s harrowing journey to Mount Doom.
Gaten Matarazzo as Samwise Gamgee
Image courtesy of Netflix
Like Frodo, the character of Samwise Gamgee, or Sam, demands a lot of its actors, as original Sam actor Sean Astin knows all too well. Sure, Sam starts off as a humble hobbit gardener working for Frodo, but he ends up becoming essential to the destruction of the One Ring, and he has some of the most emotional scenes in the entire trilogy. Gaten Matarazzo, who is best known for his role as Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things, has likewise proven his ability to play a sweet and innocent character but also tap into deep emotions.
What’s more, Matarazzo’s most famous role might be that of Dustin, but his TV history shouldn’t deceive anyone. Matarazzo has a background in Broadway, and he’s been a theater actor since he was even younger than he was when he started out on Stranger Things. Surely, with that background in his pocket, Matarazzo could pull off the character of Sam.
Joe Keery as Merry
If Matarazzo is stepping into the world of Lord of the Rings, then it would make plenty of sense to bring Dustin’s on-screen bestie Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) along with him as yet another hobbit. For Keery, Merry seems like the best bet, as Merry is also charming, as most hobbits are, but he also takes on an older, more mature personality, particularly as the movies go on. Keery, who was like a big brother to most if not all of the main Stranger Things kids, would have no trouble adapting to that type of character.
Hobbits, Merry and Pippin especially, are also known for their dancing and singing, and Keery would do well with that, too. In addition to his acting history, Keery is a singer and musician, performing and releasing music under the stage name Djo. Yes, Merry’s bar songs might be a bit different from “Basic Being Basic,” but Keery would nevertheless be up to the challenge of singing at various points as well. Original Merry actor Dominic Monaghan also has a suave about him, and Keery fits the bill for that too.
Andrew Garfield as Pippin
The final hobbit of the main four is Pippin, and he’s a particularly difficult one to cast. Billy Boyd played Pippin in the original trilogy, and he managed to capture Pippin’s childlike innocence and foolhardiness without it feeling awkward and put on. In terms of 2020s actors who could pull that off, Andrew Garfield is high on the list. Garfield is currently in his 40s, it’s true, but to be fair, aging and ages are a bit whacky in the Lord of the Rings anyway—Aragorn is 87 in The Fellowship of the Ring, for example.
Age aside, Garfield (who has also played Spider-Man) would do well with the youthful, slightly goofy nature of Pippin. Garfield is known to play such roles, and he too would be up to hobbit dancing and singing. Garfield shocked audiences with his performance as Jonathan Larson in the Netflix adaptation of Tick, Tick… Boom! in 2021, which required a fair bit of both. The actor has also taken on a host of serious roles, so he wouldn’t struggle with Pippin’s transformation in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which seems a much more mature young hobbit.
Gary Oldman as Gandalf
Gandalf is among the most difficult characters to imagine being played by anyone other than the original actor. In this case, that is Ian McKellan, a beloved and decorated actor who brought a wisdom, grace, and charm to the character. A recast would require the same respected background, and while there are several 2020s actors who come to mind, Gary Oldman seems like the best fit. Oldman, like McKellan, is an award-winning and cherished actor who has a host of roles that suggest he would be up to the task of joining The Lord of the Rings.
Oldman is known by many as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter movies and Gordon in the Dark Knight Batman trilogy, but he has many roles over the last few decades that demonstrate just how talented an actor he is, from Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to Dracula. Because of that, it’s not impossible to imagine Oldman stepping in to play the kind and sage but also incredibly powerful wizard.
Oscar Isaac as Aragorn
Image Courtesy of Netflix.
Let’s face it. Viggo Mortensen was the absolute perfect actor to play Aragorn, and Peter Jackson went into casting the role already knowing that. It’s why the idea that someone else will play the rugged, heroic character in The Hunt for Gollum has caused outrage. However, imagining that the character has to be played by someone else (which very well might be the case right now), Oscar Isaac would make a captivating choice. Isaac is known for myriad roles at this point, from Poe Dameron in the Star Wars sequel trilogy to, recently, Victor Frankenstein in Frankenstein (2025).
Isaac is no stranger to major franchises, having appeared in both Star Wars and the MCU, which makes the Lord of the Rings a less daunting prospect. With characters like Poe, Isaac has also demonstrated an ability to play a character with a bit of swagger, which Aragorn certainly has. It’s unavoidable that any new actor playing Aragorn is going to be met with intense backlash, but Isaac would offer an interesting new take on the role and would still be up to the challenge of all that Aragorn does throughout the original trilogy.
Pedro Pascal as Boromir
Image via Lucasfilm
One does not simply recast the character of Boromir, but if someone else had to fill the shoes of the complicated Gondor sort-of-prince that audiences (at least briefly) love to hate, Pedro Pascal would be a solid replacement for Sean Bean. That isn’t to say that Pascal is easy to hate—not at all. He just has a history of playing complicated characters that begin by seeming a bit like a jerk and ultimately are revealed to have hearts of gold. Take Joel in The Last of Us or even Din Djarin in The Mandalorian, for example.
What’s more, Pascal, like Isaac, has plenty of experience with major franchises. In fact, it would be fantastic to see real-life friends Isaac and Pascal on screen together. Would it be painful to see Pascal skewered with multiple arrows? Sure. But honestly, it probably wouldn’t be as bad as watching him get slowly beaten to death by a golf club, and audiences have already had to endure that.
Jamie Campbell Bower as Legolas
One of the traits that most defined Legolas in the original trilogy was frankly his beauty. Like most elves, Legolas was ethereal, but there was something that blonde Orlando Bloom brought to the character that made him…well, pretty. In keeping with that, Stranger Things’ One/Henry Creel/Vecna actor Jamie Campbell Bower would be perfect for the role—not in his Vecna form, obviously. In addition to being a great actor, Bower has the bone structure and energy to portray the character.
In fact, even in his day-to-day appearances, there’s something very elf-like about Bower that makes him easy to imagine as Legolas (and it’s not just that he’s six feet tall). This would also be a fun change of pace for audiences, as Bower was great in the villainous role of Vecna but would no doubt be plenty of fun to watch as a hero as well. Notably, Bower is actually confirmed to be joining The Rings of Power in the upcoming third season, but his character remains a mystery for now.
Elle Fanning as Arwen
Like Jamie Campbell Bower, there’s something already elf-like about Elle Fanning, which makes her a great fit for Arwen. Arwen’s original actress Liv Tyler is perhaps just as beloved by the fanbase as Viggo Mortensen is as Aragorn, but Fanning would nevertheless be a great option as a recast. Like Tyler, Fanning can pull off the sweet disposition of Arwen but also take on her heroic, brave moments as well.
After all, Fanning has starred in movies like Predator: Badlands in addition to her stunning royal roles as Catherine in The Great and Aurora in the live-action Maleficent movies. There’s little doubt that it would be difficult for audiences to let go of their commitment to Liv Tyler as the original elven princess (and, spoiler alert, future Queen of Gondor), but Fanning would execute her soft power and grace beautifully as well.
Stellan Skarsgård as Gimli
Gimli is yet another difficult character to recast because he’s funny but not outright silly, a bit grumpy but not really intimidating, and he’s a four-foot-tall dwarf originally played by John Rhys-Davies, a 6’1″ man. That’s a tall order—pun intended—but Stellan Skarsgård would be up to the task. A popular fancast for Gimli is Jack Black, and while Black is a great actor, that casting seems to lean too comedic. Skarsgård, by contrast, could capture the complex balance of Gimli’s humor and his more serious tone at many points.
Skarsgård is known for numerous roles that suggest his ability to play the part. In addition to recent appearances as Luthen Rael in Andor seasons 1 and 2, Skarsgård has appeared in multiple MCU movies as Dr. Erik Selvig. Both characters suggest that Skarsgård would be a good fit for Gimli’s at times stern grumpiness that ultimately turns into charm. It would also be hilarious to see Skarsgård get into a drinking contest with Jamie Campbell Bower as Gimli and Legolas, assuming the characters’ antics remained the same as they are in the originals.
Morgan Freeman as Saruman
Morgan Freeman in Vanquish
Finally, like Gandalf, recasting Saruman would prove challenging because original dark wizard actor Christopher Lee brought such a refined, powerful portrayal of the character in the trilogy. While Lee is essentially impossible to truly replace, Morgan Freeman is an actor of the same caliber who would be great to see in the role. In fact, imagining Freeman’s famously soothing voice delivering Saruman’s chilling lines is a selling point enough to suggest that Freeman could step into the role.
In truth, there would be backlash to Freeman playing the character, just as there would almost certainly be for any major Lord of the Rings character. Even so, these actors really could step into these roles, and while the magic of the original movies can never be beaten, these stars would offer their own captivating version of this story.
