The Lord of the Rings fans rejoice! There will be more LOTR content coming our way now that Warner Bros. has bought the rights to much of Tolkien’s work from the Swedish game and media holding company, Embracer Group. Now we know that more Middle Earth movies are in the making let’s look at who we would love to see enter the fantastical world.
Currently, not much is known about these movies at all, not when or where they will be set or who they will follow. We cannot imagine Warner Bros. would be so bold as to do over the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy; that would be most unwise given that the films are still beloved by millions who would likely be in uproar at the thought of a complete remake. But that’s okay, there are plenty more stories to be told thanks to Tolkien dedicating much of his life adding to his world.
We have already seen Amazon attempt to tell some of these stories, though it veered a little off-path and seems to have gotten stuck in the bushes in an attempt to create something “original.” Warner Bros. could try to place itself in direct competition with the streaming service by telling the same stories, only more accurately, thanks to having “matching rights” to The Silmarillion and The Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle Earth, or it could also go for something else entirely, given that there is a vast history of Middle Earth to be told.
Seeing as we have no idea what kind of stories will be told, or what characters will make an appearance it makes it quite hard to fan-cast any of the roles. Will characters we have already met on screen, big or small, be making a return? Will we see more of Gandalf, Galadriel, or Gollum even? If so, will any actors return to their former roles?
Despite not knowing what lies ahead, let’s look at some actors we would love to see in the upcoming movies even if we don’t know exactly who they would play.
Ben Barnes
The British actor has already dipped his toes in the fantastical, first in his breakout role as Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and most recently in the hit Netflix series, Shadow and Bone. From these roles, we know he has the skills needed to adapt to a Lord of the Rings movie, such as sword fighting, horse riding, and archery. He has also proven himself capable of grittier and darker performances such as in The Punisher.
Barnes has classic good looks that can easily fit in a mythical world; in Middle Earth, it wouldn’t be hard to see him cast as an elf or as a human. However, he may not be a first choice given he has already worked so extensively within the fantasy realm and they may look for some more fresh faces.
Eleanor Tomlinson
This actress made her first big entrance onto the scene in the British period drama Poldark playing the strong and proud Demelza. She had been working for some time before that, but it was this series acting opposite heartthrob (and The Hobbit actor) Aidan Turner that brought her much-deserved attention. With her fiery hair and captivating beauty, we believe that she would certainly make an interesting addition as an elf.
Though we have only really focused on Galadriel and Arwen, there are other notable mentions that could come into play, and let’s not forget, we could perhaps meet the Valar.
Regé Jean-Page
It doesn’t feel like he has been on our screens very long, but in that short time, Jean-Page has made a considerable impact. His breakout role was, of course, playing Simon Bassett, Duke of Hastings in Bridgerton season one, a character that had many swooning around the globe.
Having already seen him don period attire, fans will get to see him in a more mythical world soon as well, with his role in Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves close to release. It would be interesting to see what this rising star could bring to the world of Middle Earth.
Jeremy Irons
Irons is a phenomenal actor, one who can play both villain and hero, anger and kindness, the perfect actor to fit a role such as one of the wizards, or Istari. It is hard to imagine anyone else other than the fantastic Ian McKellen taking on the role, though we believe that we have met Gandalf already in Rings of Power in the form of The Stranger played by Daniel Weyman. Irons could easily play Saruman as well, given his ability to turn quite terrifying and just a little evil.
Apparently, he was actually one of Jackson’s prime candidates for this character way back if Christopher Lee was unavailable.
Liam Neeson
Neeson is a name that has been thrown around a lot when it comes to fan casting for Tolkien’s world. Many see him as able to play an older version of Aragorn, he has the gruffness mixed with kindness down to a tee. Neeson is another one of these actors that feels like he could slip into multiple roles, as it isn’t hard to imagine him as Gandalf either. He has already played a wiser older mentor cloaked in robes as Qui-Gon Jinn in the Star Wars universe, so it isn’t that much of a leap when you think about it.
Justin H. Min
We would love to see Min take on the role of an elf, perhaps even that of Legolas if Warner Bros. were ever to feature that well-loved character in their upcoming films. Legolas is a character that appears to be straight-laced and serious for the most part, whilst revealing he has a fun and playful side underneath which we are one hundred percent sure Min can pull off having watched him in The Umbrella Academy.
His combative yet loving relationship with his brother Klaus in the series could certainly draw parallels between Legolas and Gimli if they were ever to tell that story any further. Not to mention that Legolas is truly beautiful and, well you just have to look at Min to agree.
Saoirse Ronan
Fans had hoped to see Ronan in the role of the elf Itaril in The Hobbit trilogy as rumors were flying around that she had been cast. Unfortunately, this was not the case — though apparently there had been talks about her joining the project. Due to her busy schedule, she could not go ahead with her elven transformation. The Irish actress has an impressive acting resume and has proven time and time again that she is versatile and capable.
We would love to hear Ronan’s natural Irish lilt in Middle Earth, and along with her striking blue eyes and fair features, she would make a fantastic addition to Tolkien’s world.
Nick Offerman
Offerman is a wonderful actor, who has proved his chops again and again, most recently in his heartbreaking episode from The Last of Us. We would love to see the actor take on a role of a dwarf, bringing with him his disgruntled personality from Parks and Recreation. We know though that he can bring depth and emotion to any character he plays, as well as warmth and frivolity.
We all loved it when Ron got so childishly excited in Parks and Rec didn’t we, now imagine that with an even bigger beard and an axe to boot. With their love for gold and weaponry, we feel that Offerman playing a dwarf is a Ron Swanson-approved role.
Michaela Coel
Frankly, we want to see Coel in everything. The writer and actress burst onto the scene in recent years and has already made tidal waves in the industry thanks to her show I May Destroy You which she wrote and starred in. She most recently appeared as one of the Dora Milaje in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever where she proved she has the grace and athleticism that may be required of a warrior in Middle Earth. We could easily see Coel as a high elf and would love to see her wielding a sword in a battle between light and darkness.
Omid Djalili
Djalili is a comedian and actor who has proved over the years that he can be both funny and intensely serious, the perfect combination for a character in Middle Earth. One of the great things about The Lord of the Rings trilogy was that alongside the seriousness of their quest and the danger they encountered, there were moments of true humor and brevity, often provided by characters like Merry and Pippin as well as Gimli and occasionally Legolas and Gandalf. We think that Djalili would be the perfect actor to cast in a role such as this, and we could certainly see him making an excellent dwarf.
There is no way of knowing what is to come for the future of Middle Earth on the big screen, we have no ideas which of Tolkien’s stories Warner Bros. is planning to tell yet so it is very hard to know which character roles will need to be filled. We hope that the films will continue to introduce us to new and unknown talent as they did in the past with actors like Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood, who got their big breaks through Jackson’s trilogy, but it would be great to see the above find a place in the world too.
