According to IMDb, Jamie Dornan has officially been cast as Aragorn in the upcoming Lord of the Rings film The Hunt for Gollum, with Warner Bros. simultaneously confirming that several stars from the original Peter Jackson trilogy will be returning to Middle-earth alongside him.
A New King of Gondor — and a Massive Conversation
This is one of the most scrutinized casting decisions the franchise could possibly make. Viggo Mortensen's portrayal of Aragorn is, for a huge swath of moviegoers, the definitive version of the character — brooding, commanding, and physically imposing in a way that felt almost mythological. Dornan is a genuinely compelling actor with serious dramatic range, but stepping into those worn, mud-caked ranger boots was always going to invite fierce debate. The confirmation of returning original cast members adds another layer of complexity: how do you blend a recast Aragorn into scenes alongside actors audiences already associate with their beloved roles?
For fancasters, this news blows the door wide open. With Aragorn now confirmed, all eyes shift to the roles still unannounced — Gandalf, Gollum (will Andy Serkis return?), and any Fellowship members who might appear. The speculation machine is fully running.
What myCast Fans Have Been Saying
Here's where it gets really interesting. Fan casting activity around this film has been building steadily on myCast, and the community's instincts paint a revealing picture of what audiences actually wanted.
Over on The Hunt For Gollum, the top fan pick for Aragorn was none other than Viggo Mortensen himself — a clear signal that a significant portion of the fanbase would have preferred the original actor reprise the role rather than see a full recast. It's a sentiment that's hard to argue with on pure nostalgia grounds, though Mortensen has publicly been cool on returning. Fans also voted Elijah Wood for Frodo and Ian McKellen for Gandalf in that same story, suggesting a strong preference for legacy casting wherever possible.
The broader Lord Of The Rings fan cast community, meanwhile, has been dreaming a little bigger when it comes to a fresh take. There, leads the Aragorn vote with 2 votes — a pick that actually makes a lot of intuitive sense given Fassbender's intensity and physicality. Fassbender fans would have had a compelling case. Other standout picks from that story include for Frodo Baggins and for Gandalf the Grey, both of which would generate enormous excitement. There are also multiple additional stories on the platform — including — that are just getting started and could use your votes right now.