Viggo Mortensen would return as Aragorn in Hunt for Gollum — under one condition

Every Lord of the Rings fan idolized Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, but the actor has gotten real about whether or not he’d return for Hunt for Gollum.

The Hunt for Gollum will see the franchise’s to the big screen, focusing on Andy Serkis’ misunderstood, beloved character in a prequel to the original films. The movie is still in early development, and it’s unclear how the story will unfold and which actors will reprise their roles.

Mortensen isn’t opposed to coming back. In an interview with GQ, he revealed, “Sure. I don’t know exactly what the story is, I haven’t heard. Maybe I’ll hear about it eventually. I like playing that character. I learned a lot playing the character. I enjoyed it a lot.”

But to return to the franchise, Aragon’s story has to be well-made and written under the right circumstances. “I would only do it if I was right for it in terms of, you know, the age I am now and so forth. I would only do it if I was right for the character. It would be silly to do it otherwise,” he said.

With Gollum dying in The Return of the King, falling into Mount Doom along with the One Ring, many have already speculated what the prequel will be about.

In the books, Gandolf sends Aragorn to go and find Gollum. Aragorn succeeds in his mission and ventures to go and see Thranduil, the ruler of Mirkwood.

The Hunt for Gollum could bring back Mortensen, but it’s been more than 20 years since his last portrayal of the character.

Fans could see a new side to Gollum’s backstory that wasn’t explored in the original franchise. Even screenwriter Philippa Boyens is excited, pointing out how Gollum’s life spans an interesting time of Middle-earth.

“Gollum’s story is one of the most compelling to us in terms of a character that we couldn’t go as deeply into as we wanted to before, which sounds strange when you say that, given how familiar he is to everybody,” she explained to Deadline.

For now, Andy Serkis is the only original cast member to be attached to the movie returning as Gollum.

The Hunt for Gollum is set to release sometime in 2025, and in the meantime, you can learn if the movie has a connection to the Rings of Power and new shows streaming this month.