Today, a new rumor has sprung up regarding the recasting of Aragorn/Strider in Warner Bros. Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. According to the report, up-and-coming British actor Leo Woodall has been cast in the role made famous by Viggo Mortensen in the original trilogy. Woodall recently appeared on Netflix’s Vladimir alongside Rachel Weisz, which began streaming just last week. He was also a Jewish-American soldier in last year’s Nuremberg. Ironically, Woodall would pretend to play the role when he was younger, according to The Guardian.
We at Knight Edge Media were the first to report in late 2025 that Viggo Mortensen would not be returning for the film, and that the studio opted to recast the role with a younger actor. His casting has been in the works since late November 2025, as director Andy Serkis began meeting with younger actors for the role under the character codename “Milkey”. It was also never going to be someone famous like Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, The Witcher) or Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian, The Punisher). The studio has yet to announce the new actor taking on the role officially, but with production beginning this May in New Zealand, it shouldn’t be long.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is slated to hit theaters on December 17th, 2027
- Rumor suggests that British actor Leo Woodall is circling the iconic role of Aragorn in the upcoming film.
- Warner Bros. decided to recast the character with a younger actor instead of bringing back Viggo Mortensen.
- Production for The Hunt for Gollum begins this May in New Zealand, ahead of a December 2027 release.
