What would The Lord of the Rings trilogy look like if the series was remade with a new cast in 2021? The characters in Lord of the Rings are some of the most beloved in all fiction and the actors who brought those characters to life in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings each excelled in their roles. With the recent release of the 4K UHD version this December, many fans are revisiting Middle Earth and enjoying the groundbreaking achievements made by the Lord of the Rings cast and crew. The series is unlikely to be remade for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that Jackson's Lord of the Rings would be difficult, if not impossible, to improve upon (and the Tolkien estate would more than likely object).
However, if the series were to somehow be remade, there is one underlying issue in the trilogy that would be brought to the forefront: a lack of women and people of color. A remake of Lord of the Rings could include a more diverse cast, whether by creating new characters (as The Hobbit did with the divisive character, Tauriel, played by Evangeline Lilly) - or casting people of color and women in roles previously played by white actors and men. It's not an ideal solution to the lack of representation in major franchise films, but the alternative of recasting the films without any more women or people of color would be worse.
Hopefully, the Lord of the Rings TV series on Amazon will prove to have found the best way to address Lord of the Rings' lack of diversity by inventing an all-new story in the existing world of Middle Earth and creating brand new characters. That said, here's what a recasting of the Lord of the Rings trilogy could look like in 2021 with actors and actresses who are at the top of their game.
Frodo: Asa Butterfield
Asa Butterfield has been acting since he was eight years old and appeared in a few children's films before landing the lead role in Ender's Game. Butterfield's performance is one of the highlights of Ender's Game and showed that, even at 16, he could carry the lead role in a highly anticipated film adaptation of a classic novel. Not to mention, Butterfield could pass as Elijah Wood’s younger brother. Butterfield (Sex Education) definitely has Frodo's look of youth and wide-eyed innocence, but more importantly, he could also portray the somber character that Frodo grows into.
Sam: John Boyega
Boyega's Star Wars character, Finn, could have been to Disney's sequel trilogy what Sam was to Lord of the Rings, but Finn never got the heroic story he deserved. Finn - and by effect, Boyega - were completely underused and misused in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Finn's character arc should have been on par with Samwise Gamgee, without whom (as Tolkien himself believed) the Fellowship's mission would have failed. Sam, once the unsung hero, has become one of the most beloved Lord of the Rings characters of all time for his courage, loyalty, and optimism - and Boyega would do the role justice.
Merry: Freddie Highmore
Highmore starred in many popular productions as a child: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Spiderwick Chronicles, August Rush, and The Golden Compass - to name only a few. As an adult, he has stunned audiences with his incredible performance as Dr. Shaun Murphy on The Good Doctor. Currently, Highmore is almost exclusively a drama actor, but he has youthfulness and could be a good fit for Merry, who is a bit more serious than Pippin and has plenty of ambition and courage.
Pippin: Tom Holland
The last of Frodo’s three hobbit companions, Pippin, could be portrayed by youthful actor Tom Holland. As evidenced by his role as Spider-Man in the MCU, Holland has the range to play Pippin’s funnier moments as well as his character growth into a mature and brave Guard of the Citadel. Holland and Highmore also look like they could be related, which is fitting since Merry and Pippin are first cousins.
Aragorn: Dev Patel
Dev Patel is a fantastically underrated actor. He typically stars in dramas, but occasionally branches out - and the role of Aragorn wouldn't be his first venture into the fantasy genre. Patel played Prince Zuko in The Last Airbender and, more recently, he starred in the yet-to-be-released dark fantasy The Green Knight. The medieval tale happens to be based on an Arthurian legend translated from Middle English by none other than J.R.R. Tolkien, and the tale of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight may have inspired parts of the author's own fantasy epic, The Lord of the Rings. The Green Knight is one of many delayed 2020 releases, but if the trailers are any indication, Patel's performance will prove to be delightfully intense. Patel always plays complex characters so well that he could certainly portray the serious, compassionate, sensitive, and noble character of Aragorn.
Gandalf: Sigourney Weaver
Actress Robyn Malcolm, who had a minor role in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, once suggested casting a female Gandalf in future Lord of the Rings adaptations. The opinion was highly controversial, but if a remake did decide to go with this radical recast, Sigourney Weaver has proven she could carry the role. Weaver is known for powerful sci-fi roles (Alien, Avatar, The Defenders) as well as impeccably sarcastic characters (Holes, Galaxy Quest, Ghostbusters), playing both hero and villain with a kind of humor, ferocity, and eccentricity that only she can. Weaver might even portray a Gandalf who is truer to the books, where the character is generally more self-assured.
Legolas: Felicity Jones
Legolas is another character that could possibly be played by a woman and Jones could handle the role. A lot of the qualities that Jones portrayed as Jyn Erso in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story would translate really well to an incredible female version of Legolas. Jones can do action scenes, portray stoicism, wax poetic (as Legolas often does), and deliver subtle humor, making her a good fit for the role of Legolas.
Gimli: Warwick Davis
Warwick Davis was reportedly offered the role of Gimli but turned it down to appear as Professor Flitwick in the Harry Potter films. Davis is a prolific actor who has plenty of epic fantasy/sci-fi experience (Willow, Harry Potter, Star Wars) and could still play the part of Gimli. At 50 years old, he's now just slightly younger than John Rhys-Davies was when he played the role in Jackson's trilogy.
Boromir: Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill is already busy with an epic fantasy role in The Witcher, but his portrayal of Geralt is so fantastic that it would be no-brainer to include him in a remake of Lord of the Rings. Before the show released, some were skeptical of Cavill’s casting in The Witcher – he looked nothing like Geralt and had mostly starred in modern roles – but he’s nailed the role and shown that he could absolutely handle another epic fantasy role like Boromir.
Arwen: Zendaya
Zendaya got her acting start on the Disney channel. Since her big-screen breakout role as Michelle in Spiderman: Homecoming, Zendaya has exhibited her ability to portray a wide range of characters in various genres, including a hit musical (The Greatest Showman) and upcoming epic sci-fi (Dune). Arwen, the Half-elven daughter of Elrond, has an even smaller role in the Lord of the Rings books than she does in the movies. And while Arwen's other features are noted (like her loyalty and compassion), her most defining characteristic in the books is that she's indescribably beautiful. The lovely Zendaya meets that description, but, more importantly, can match Liv Tyler's powerful (albeit brief) appearance in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Elrond: Idris Elba
In the Lord of the Rings books, Elrond is “as venerable as a king of Dwarves, as strong as a warrior, as wise as a wizard, and as kind as summer." Elba certainly has the gravitas, kindness, and strength to portray Elrond, Lord of Rivendell – and experience in the fantasy genre as Heimdall in Thor and Roland Deschain in The Dark Tower.
Saruman: Charles Dance
This seasoned English actor was once a member of the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company, whose other notable alumni members include Sir Patrick Stewart, Sir Ian McKellen, and Dame Judi Dench. But Charles Dance has also starred in recent hit productions like The Crown and Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones, proving he has maintained his relevance. Dance is a phenomenal actor and could live up to the late Christopher Lee's outstanding performance.
Eowyn: Saoirse Ronan
Saoirse Ronan is such an obviously great fit as Eowyn for many reasons. Not only does she have the look of a medieval warrior princess, but she also has the seriousness and vulnerability of Eowyn. The young actress has an incredible range, masterfully taking on action and drama roles left and right, and it would be exciting to see her as Eowyn, slayer of the Witch King.
Éomer: Richard Madden
Éomer is a fan-favorite character from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, appearing in both The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Upon King Theoden's death in the latter, Éomer became King of Rohan. Richard Madden has, at least twice, played kings in the fantasy genre before: he plays the noble and chivalrous Prince Charming in Disney's live-action Cinderella as well as the brave and fierce Robb Stark in Game of Thrones. Madden definitely has the experience to play Éomer - and he really looks like a young Karl Urban.
Théoden: Hugh Bonneville
Hugh Bonneville’s Downton Abbey role as Lord Grantham showed that he can portray leadership, compassion, and stubbornness – all qualities that Théoden possesses. It would definitely be a new venture into the fantasy and action genre for the drama actor, but it would be interesting to see what Bonneville could do with the role.
Faramir: Dan Stevens
Another Downton Abbey actor, Dan Stevens, has gone on since his role as Matthew Crawley to play a wide range of roles: David Haller in Legion, the Beast in Disney's live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, and Alexander Lemtov in Netflix's Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Taking a little bit from each role - tenderness, goodness, fierceness, courage, and light-heartedness - would make Dan Stevens ready to play the noble knight Faramir.
Denethor: Gary Oldman
In all honesty, Academy Award Winning actor Gary Oldman could take on any number of roles in Lord of the Rings, but his previous role as Sirius Black isn’t too far off from Denethor in appearance. Denethor's portrayal was maybe a little too villainous in Return of the King, compared to the more complex character that exists in the books. Oldman, who can play both hero and villain convincingly (and simultaneously), would likely bring out some of Denethor’s redeeming traits and make the character more interesting.
Galadriel: Gemma Chan
Gemma Chan starred in the British sci-fi series Humans and - though the role may be lesser known than her more recent appearance in the hit rom-com Crazy Rich Asians - her performance as Mia is so dynamic and interesting. The character is at times robotic and other times fully human, proving Chan's incredible talent as an actress. Chan, who stars as Sersi in the upcoming Eternals, could absolutely play the enigmatic and goddess-like Galadriel. Her voice has a similar melody and clearness to Cate Blanchett’s – there’s a certain serenity in it and she’d be a spectacular fit as Galadriel.
Gríma Wormtongue: Tom Hiddleston
Hiddleston rose to fame as Loki in the MCU, debuting in Thor and eventually earning his own Disney+ TV series. The actor's portrayal of Thor's adoptive brother has sparked an entire subculture of Marvel fandom. The wry and cunning trickster, Loki, is absolutely more likable than Gríma Wormtongue, but their appearance is fairly similar. In the book The Two Towers, Gríma is described as "a wizened figure of a man, with a pale wise face, and heavy lidded eyes." Even at the risk of pigeonholing Hiddleston into the role of slick-haired, mischievous villain, there's no denying that he could perfectly portray Saruman's evil henchman, Gríma Wormtongue.
Gollum: Alan Tudyk
Tudyk is one of the most prolific voice actors of our time and he definitely has range. Alan Tudyk may or may not be able to craft a voice as simultaneously pitiful, grating, and snarling as Andy Serkis - but no one really saw Serkis's portrayal of Gollum/Sméagol coming, either.
Bilbo: Martin Freeman
Martin Freeman was so perfectly cast as Bilbo in The Hobbit and Freeman is the best thing in the Hobbit trilogy. With a bit of aging makeup, he’s all set to play an older Bilbo in The Lord of the Rings.
The Lord of the Rings remains one of the greatest film trilogies ever made. It revolutionized filmmaking and brought a beloved classic book series to the screen in a way that lived up to Tolkien's work. It's hard to argue with any of the castings or performances from the trilogy and the passion the actors had for their work really shows in the final product. While the series isn't perfect, The Lord of the Rings trilogy is deservedly the gold standard for the fantasy genre will be adored by fans new and old for years to come.