The Lord of the Rings’ New Movie Just Confirmed Its Legolas Replacement

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum just confirmed its Legolas replacement, and that’s probably for the best, as there’s currently no sign of Orlando Bloom returning. The Hunt of Gollum will take us back to events of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, focusing on the time between Bilbo’s departure and Gandalf returning to tell Frodo about the One Ring in The Fellowship of the Ring. What unfolds during this gap is less clear in Peter Jackson’s movies, but in J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, 17 years pass — and both Aragorn and Gandalf set out to locate Gollum.

The Hunt for Gollum will cover this in depth. A mix of former LOTR stars, like Elijah Wood and Sir Ian McKellen, and newcomers like Jamie Dornan’s recast Aragorn, will bring this story to the screen. New characters will also appear in the film, including Kate Winslet’s Marigol, Leo Woodall’s Halvard, and one who is poised to serve as Legolas’ replacement.

There’s No Sign Orlando Bloom Will Return for 2027’s New The Lord of the Rings Movie

Although some stars from the Lord of the Rings movies are officially returning in The Hunt for Gollum, Orlando Bloom isn’t confirmed for the 2027 film. Bloom initially seemed open to reprising his role in Warner Bros.’ fantasy franchise, and there’s certainly room to make an appearance work. Lee Pace is appearing as Thranduil, Legolas’ father, and he does tell Legolas to seek out Aragorn at the end of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. However, the radio silence regarding Legolas’ return seems to answer that question. It’s looking less likely that he’ll show up, unless The Hunt for Gollum is going for a surprise cameo.

It’s possible the decision to recast Aragorn contributed to Legolas’ absence, as it would be jarring to have an entirely identical cast in the new LOTR movie with just the one exception. Whatever the reason, Legolas being missing won’t affect the events of The Hunt for Gollum that much. And it sounds like we’ll have another kickass Elf character to replace him, even if they’re not from Lord of the Rings canon.

Anya Taylor-Joy’s Hunt for Gollum Character Confirms the Film’s Legolas Replacement

The Hunt for Gollum recently added Anya Taylor-Joy to its cast, and she’ll be playing another Sindar Elf from the Woodland Realm. Her character, Seren, is original to the films, so there’s some risk to introducing her. (Divergence from the source material is a major complaint of several recent Lord of the Rings projects, including The Rings of Power and The War of the Rohirrim.) Of course, the fact that Taylor-Joy is tackling the part is promising, as she has a solid track record in major franchises. From her New Mutants role to Dune: Part Three, she’s a scene-stealer. And the fact that she’ll serve as a “lethal agent” to Thranduil is intriguing.

It also means that we can probably expect some impressive combat moves from her, just like we see from Legolas throughout the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Legolas and Tauriel fill that role in The Hobbit movies, and The Hunt for Gollum will continue the trend of having a competent, deadly Elf around. It’s a hopeful development when it comes to The Hunt for Gollum‘s action, and it adds something fresh to LOTR’s newest project. The character will also add another woman to the franchise’s cast, which is always nice to see. Hopefully, she’s worked in seamlessly enough that she doesn’t play into one of the film’s biggest concerns.

The Hunt for Gollum Must Be Careful With Anya Taylor-Joy’s Lord of the Rings Character

Anya Taylor-Joy’s Lord of the Rings character will fill the void left by Legolas’ absence, but she risks playing into another problem with The Hunt for Gollum. The movie’s ability to fit canonically with what came before is already questionable, and adding new players is one way to make that problem more noticeable. These characters don’t appear elsewhere in the franchise, raising questions about where they are. If The Hunt for Gollum wants to work them seamlessly into a story set during the trilogy, it will need more than impressive actors to bring them to life. The writers will have to take care with their arcs, ensuring they don’t overshadow established figures and giving them proper send-offs that make sense within the greater context. Hopefully, they’re up to the challenge.

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