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No one else could play Aragorn other than Viggo Mortensen.
That’s how I felt when I first heard the news that the King of Gondor, the son of Arathorn, and one of the biggest heartthrobs in cinema history – was going to return in the upcoming Lord of the Rings prequel, The Hunt for Gollum.
But now that Jamie Dornan has been confirmed as the new ‘Strider’, I’m pleasantly surprised. And I even think his casting could be a masterstroke.
The film, which is being directed by the man who brought Gollum to life, Andy Serkis, has been plagued with concerns from the start.
Critics questioned why a movie set within the early timeline of The Fellowship of the Ring was needed at all, when the original trilogy was such a masterpiece.
Then when it was confirmed that it was going ahead, one thing that many fans needed to soothe their fears was the assurance that the original stars would be reprising their roles.
First, we have the King of motion capture, Andy Serkis, returning as Gollum. No questions there, as no one else could embody the character’s spine-chilling voice and mannerisms, his maliciousness and his brief glimpses of humanity as Sméagol.
If I was going to trust anyone to helm the Lord of the Rings sidequel (I assume that’s what we’re calling it), it’s Andy. I will acknowledge that Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy was a major miss in so many ways, but I have faith in Serkis to do this story justice in the director’s seat and on screen.
Other returning characters include Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Lee Pace as the Elvenking Thandruil, who was one of the few highlights of the Hobbit films. (No one in the world can lounge on a throne as elegantly as him).
Onto the newcomers. Kate Winslet will be starring as Marigol, the details for whom are scarce but is speculated to be Sméagol’s grandmother. Leo Woodall will be playing Halvard, a Dúnedain man. And then last but not least, Jamie is entering the fray as Strider, aka Aragorn.
I’ll admit it – in an ideal world, Viggo would be stepping back into Aragorn’s swashbuckling shoes.
The moment I saw him for the first time in Fellowship, sitting in the corner of The Prancing Pony, his hood covering his eyes, smoking nonchalantly on a pipe while staring directly at Frodo, I knew that I’d never be the same.
He delivered some of the most iconic moments in cinema history. Bursting through the doors at Helm’s Deep after being presumed dead. Summoning the Army of the Dead to defend Gondor. The tearjerking scene when he leads his new kingdom to bow down to the four hobbits without whom Middle-earth wouldn’t have been saved against Sauron, the list goes on.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Viggo would not be reprising his role as Aragorn, after Andy told ScreenRant: ‘I don’t know what’s out there at the moment, but I know there’s a lot of speculation, but let’s just say we are recasting the role and we are on the way to finding someone.’
I have to assume that they initially asked Viggo if he wanted to return.
Because I highly doubt that their first instinct was to recast one of the most beloved characters in film, even if he’s nearing 70, and was 40 when he began filming the original trilogy.
They had to have known the uproar that his recasting would cause, especially when they have de-aging technology and a phenomenal make-up team at their disposal.
So, presuming Viggo did turn down the opportunity to return, there weren’t a lot of good options remaining to them.
What do you think of Jamie Dornan playing Aragorn in the new Lord of the Rings movie?
If they removed Aragorn from the story completely, fans would be mad. If they still included him and had another actor take over the role, fans would be mad. If they were to bin the whole film completely, that would be years of work lost. So option B it is.
Before the recasting was officially announced, fans floated names around including A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms star Peter Claffey, The Hunger Games actor Alexander Ludwig, Marvel star Sebastian Stan and Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington. All talented actors, but I still had my reservations about anyone else embodying the role.
As did all of the Tolkien fans who simply suggested that a ‘young Viggo Mortensen’ should play young Aragorn. Touché.
But we do have to remember that there was also a time when Viggo wasn’t even playing Aragorn. Originally, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen actor Stuart Townsend was selected for the role, but he was recast shortly after shooting began after Peter Jackson realised he was too young.
I can’t imagine a world in which Viggo hadn’t played Aragorn, nor do I think that someone else stepping into his shoes for The Hunt for Gollum takes anything away from his performance in the original trilogy. Enter: Jamie Dornan.
When the news was announced today, the reaction was – unsurprisingly – huge. ‘You can’t just call him Strider and think we won’t feel the betrayal,’ one fan called blackclothes_whitecat wrote on Instagram. ‘Nobody asked for this,’ mayasuper added.
But others were more optimistic.
‘Dornan is a great choice. Look at a side by side of the two and you can totally see the resemblance,’ madmyke89 commented, while sache77e remarked: ‘I love Jamie Dornan as Aragorn!’
And I’m siding with the latter group.
Because while I hadn’t ever considered the resemblance between Jamie and Viggo – it’s definitely there. Throw on a dishevelled wig and a rugged Ranger ensemble, and I can see the vision.
Putting aside the likeness, Jamie is an extremely talented and versatile actor. He might be unfairly brushed aside at times because of Fifty Shades of Grey (I only saw the first one – never again), but his terrifying performance as serial killer Paul Spector in The Fall was rightfully hailed as ‘outstanding’, and put him on the map.
I fully understand people who want to boycott this film completely, think it’s merely a moneymaking exercise, or wish it had never been conceived in the first place. There’s a reason why Lord of the Rings is so universally loved, and any decision to bring it back should not be taken lightly.
So far, the prequel series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has failed to capture the same magic that first enthralled me as a kid when I watched the films with my dad for the first time. But call me naive – I have faith in The Hunt for Gollum.
The movie is filling a gap that The Fellowship of the Ring skimmed over, the 17 years between Bilbo Baggins’ 111th birthday party and when Frodo left the Shire with the Ring. It’s a story that I’m fascinated to explore as a lifelong fan.
If the only way we can do that is by bringing in a new actor to play Aragorn, as much as it pains me not to see Viggo on my screen, I believe Jamie has what it takes to give a performance that will make even the harshest critics eat their words.
And in the meantime, whenever I want to be reunited with Viggo’s Aragorn, I’ll just rewatch Lord of the Rings for the millionth time.
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