To Celebrate Its 20th Anniversary, We Recast “Lord of the Rings: Return Of The King”
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It's time to return to Middle-Earth as The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King is now celebrating its 20th anniversary!
Do you feel old yet?
Even though Return of the King has one of the best ensemble casts of all time, it's fun to think about which famous actors would make up the cast if the film were made today.
So with that in mind, here are the actors that I think would star in Return of the King if it were made in 2023 instead of 2003:
1.Tom Holland as Frodo Baggins
Audiences are familiar with the actor for playing a wall-crawling menace in the MCU Spider-Man movies. Tom Holland has established the screen presence necessary to headline a large-scale franchise film, and he would be excellent as the kindhearted-but-kind-of-corruptible Frodo Baggins.
2.Tom Hanks as Gandalf the White
Few actors have been established enough to stay in the film industry for as long as Tom Hanks. He has reached a point in his career where he would be perfect for Gandalf after his kind, wise performance in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. It would also be fascinating to see Hanks star in a large, action-oriented role.
3.Bradley Cooper as Aragorn
We've gotten to see some of Bradley Cooper's incredible acting chops in A Star is Born and Nightmare Alley. It would be interesting to see him apply those to Aragorn, as he resembles the character and offers the charisma and badass nature of the warrior.
4.Lucas Hedges as Samwise Gamgee
Not every actor could pull off the pure, wholesome friendship that Samwise Gamgee gave to Frodo Baggins, but Lucas Hedges would be a fantastic choice. He has played the nice guy in movies like Waves, and even though he has gone darker with his performances, there is no doubt that he could pull off this character.
5.Dylan O'Brien as Pippin
Although Dylan O'Brien didn't play the nicest guy in All Too Well: The Short Film, his years of experience in the Maze Runner movies and Teen Wolf series make him perfect for one half of the mischievous duo Pippin and Merry. He is fun to watch on screen in films like Not Okay and would be the perfect person to ask about second breakfast and elevensies.
6.Joe Keery as Merry
There is no actor who could play the other half of Pippin and Merry than Joe Keery. He gets a lot of fun moments to shine in Stranger Things and Free Guy, and he could easily have a ton of onscreen chemistry with an actor like Dylan O'Brien.
7.Jack Black as Gimli
Everyone loves Jack Black. Nobody could play Gimli in Return of the King like John Rhys-Davies, but Black could definitely pull it off. He has the right look and is versatile enough to pull off the fierce nature and funnier aspects of this character. I would personally love to see this.
8.Jacob Elordi as Legolas
Hear me out on this one. You may know Jacob Elordi as the toxic boyfriend Nate on Euphoria or in his love interest role in The Kissing Booth movies. However, it is high time that he applies his A-plus acting ability and physique to an action-hero role of this scale. He may not be the first choice in anyone's mind, but deep down, who wouldn't want to see him slay an Oliphaunt?
9.Russell Crowe as King Théoden
In Return of the King, Théoden is the King of Rohan leading his troops to battle. Few could play that better than Russell Crowe, who has proven himself capable of playing these characters in his decades-long career, particularly in Gladiator. He has an authoritative presence demonstrated in Man of Steel, and he would nail this one.
10.Elizabeth Olsen as Éowyn
The internet would go crazy over this one. A shieldmaiden who proves herself in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, nobody could pull off that kind of power as Elizabeth Olsen could. She can pull off the action and the softer, more tender moments required for the role. Also, c'mon — she's the Scarlet Witch.
11.Taron Egerton as Faramir
The shoes of the Head of the Gondorian Rangers in seek of his father's approval should be filled by none other than Taron Egerton. Not only does he have a physical resemblance to the character, but Egerton's skill as a thespian would allow for the dramatic moments to land.
12.Liam Hemsworth as Éomer
Besides Luke, Liam is the Hemsworth that deserves a bigger career than he's gotten. We've seen bits of him in The Hunger Games and Independence Day: Resurgence, but a character like Éomer would be perfect for him, as he could do the action sequences and demonstrate some of his dramatic chops, too.
13.Cillian Murphy as Elrond
You'll be seeing him later this year in Oppenheimer, but Cillian Murphy has proven his star talent time and time again over the years, particularly in his TV show Peaky Blinders. If anyone is gonna fill the large shoes that Hugo Weaving once wore, it has to be him.
14.Anya Taylor-Joy as Arwen
Anya Taylor-Joy is an actor showing up in everything these days. She demonstrated her talent in The VVitch and Split and has now gone on to appear in incredible projects like The Menu and, most recently, The Super Mario Bros. Movie. She is one of the most well-known actors working today, and she would be a wonderful fit for Arwen.
15.Zoë Kravitz as Galadriel
After her fantastic performance in The Batman, Zoë Kravitz is an easy contender for an actor who can play a graceful character like Galadriel. She's offered compelling work in many franchise films, and honestly, she could find herself doing more performances on the scale of Blanchett if all goes right.
16.Danny DeVito as Bilbo Baggins
Need I say more?
And finally...
17.Andy Serkis as Gollum
There's no other way around it. You can't recast Andy Serkis as Gollum. He is the king of motion capture, and he is as well-known as he was then, offering phenomenal performances in The Batman and Andor. It wouldn't be Gollum if it weren't for our precious Andy Serkis.
