Actor-filmmaker Andy Serkis has confirmed that the role of Aragorn will be recast in his upcoming The Lord of the Rings prequel The Hunt for Gollum.

Serkis said the casting process was already underway, ruling out the return of acclaimed actor Viggo Mortensen, who played the iconic character in Peter Jackson's original trilogy.

"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," he told Screen Rant.

Serkis, who also reprises his motion-capture role as Gollum, is directing the film, which is set between The Hobbit trilogy and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The story follows Aragorn and Gandalf as they search for Gollum to learn more about the origins of Bilbo's mysterious ring.

Mortensen himself had expressed openness to returning to the role. In a 2024 interview with GQ, the Danish-American actor had said he would reprise the character under the right conditions, adding he would only do so "if I was right for the character."

Jackson is returning as producer alongside his longtime collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is slated for release worldwide in December 2027.