Who Will Play Aragorn In The New Lord Of The Rings TV Series?

In case you missed it, the biggest news out of Middle Earth in recent years is that a massive TV series has been commissioned to retell the Lord Of The Rings story. Amazon are the lucky company who have the privilege of retelling this epic adventure and it's look like they will be pulling out all the stops. So this time round, Frodo, Sam, Aragorn and all their friends will be embarking on another merry jaunt through Middle Earth.

This time around though the story will be a little different. To base a multi season show on the basic LOTR story would be tricky as there is only limited content. However, as any fan will know the back story to Frodo and the One Ring is simply epic. There is so much to go at and the writers will no doubt have plenty of interesting material to draw on.

Speculation was rife as to where to story would begin. Now though it seems we have our answer. Rumours have been confirmed that the first series of the upcoming Amazon show will focus on young Aragorn. In the actual Lord Of The Rings books, Aragorn is almost ninety years old when he first comes into contact with Frodo and the Ring. So there is a big back story to follow which should prove very interesting. The books do touch on his lineage and some of his back story, but Amazon look set to pursue this more deeply and give us a real understanding of where Aragorn or Elessar really comes from. Then of course there is his relationship with Arwen, this is something that is only briefly touched on in movies but there is plenty of back story there as well.

So the big question is, who will play Aragorn in the upcoming series?

As you would expect there are plenty of rumours floating around about who will play Aragorn this time around. It's seventeen years since the Fellowship of The Ring came out yet still people are wondering if Viggo Mortensen may once again take on the role. To help add fuel to the fire there has been speculation that Peter Jackson may once again be involved with the production. This is only rumour at this stage but if Jackson were once again involved he may see it as an opportunity to get some of the old cast back involved.

In real terms though a return to Viggo Mortensen seems unlikely. When the trilogy of films was made Mortensen was in his early forties. He now's almost sixty years old. He may still have those rugged looks and chances are he's still up to the task, but if we're looking at following the story of young Aragorn, it would surely make more sense to go for a younger actor and a fresh face.

It's interesting that Mortensen was not always the first choice back in the days Peter Jackson was casting the trilogy of movies. Reports came out that Nicholas Cage was offered the roll at one point, however he turned it down due to family commitments. Another actor who was reported to have come close was Russell Crowe. Again he turned down the roll due to other engagements and as this was around the time Gladiator was coming out it understandable why he made that choice. Vin Diesel apparently auditioned for the roll but was never considered.

One actor who did actually get the role was Stuart Townsend. He was originally given the roll and actually got on set and began filming, however at this point Jackson decided he wasn't a great fit and he was sent on his way. Another actor who came very close was Daniel Day-Lewis, again he was offered the roll but turned it down. I think Jackson made the right choice in Viggo.

With many fans truly satisfied with Mortensen's performance in the original movie trilogy however, a new actor will have some big shoes to fill. So who is likely to take on the role of Aragorn?

So if we're not expecting Mortensen to once again take on the role, who would likely fill those boots? Well there is plenty of speculation and no doubt getting the role is something many young actors would dream of. Chances are it will not be a massive Hollywood name. Amazon are planning at least five seasons assuming all goes well with the initial release. So the casting department will be looking for someone who's in it for the long haul. So let's look at a few possibilities.

Aaron Paul

If you're unfamiliar with the name Aaron Paul, then you've obviously not seen the hit US show 'Breaking Bad'. Aaron Paul played the massively popular character Jesse Pinkman. Paul got universal acclaim for his performances in the hit TV show and won many fans the world over. He also showed how versatile an actor he can be. He can play the tough action man but he can also play the more sensitive and naïve roles, something that may be perfect for a young Aragorn character.

Lorenzo Richelmy

Another name you may or may not be familiar with. Lorenzo hit the big time with the popular Netflix show 'Marco Polo'. This big budget epic TV show ended up being cancelled after a few seasons, but Lorenzo was one of the stand out performers of the cast. He certainly has the look of a young Aragorn and as he doesn't have a massive profile he may be just the kind of actor that the Amazon team are looking for.

Cillian Murphy

A bit of an outsider here but Cillian Murphy certainly has the ability and the look to play the role. He's been around for a while and has many good acting credits to his name, but he's recently taken his career to another level with the brilliant 'Peaky Blinders' show. He's won many fans and a few awards for his performance in the role of Tommy Shelby but this could be what keeps him out of contention as Peaky Blinders season five is still being filmed. So chances are Murphy won't be able to commit to a new epic series.

Alex Pettyfer

Another potential could be Pettyfer. He's in his late twenties so he should be about the right age and he definitely has the look of a young Aragorn. If you're unfamiliar with Alex Pettyfer he's been in a few recent movies such as 'I am number four' and 'The Butler'. He's won quite a few fans for his acting performances and yet is still enough of a low profile actor that he could be considered for a role such as this. He has a few movies in the pipeline for 2018 but he could certainly be one of the early contenders for the role.

Other Possibilities

There are of course countless actors we could mention. Amazon may choose to go down a very different route. Some of the names we came up with included, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Nicholas Hoult and George Finn. There are countless others we could add to the list, we'd also love your thoughts on the matter. Feel free to add your ideas to the comments section below and we will see if any names start to stand out. No doubt as the countdown to production starts there will be lots of rumours floating about.

Chances are the new Aragorn will be an actor we have never heard of. The big studios often like to go for a relatively unknown name when casting roles such as this. It really is a great opportunity for any actor though as this role will certainly sky rocket them to fame. The new Lord Of The Rings TV series looks like being nothing short of epic and it really is going to be exciting to see in which direction the writers and producers take it.

As more news roles in over the coming weeks and months we will keep this page updated and let you know as soon as we have any concrete news. All we can really do now is sit and wait for the start of what will be one of the most anticipated shows of all time.