After The Lord of the Rings arrived in movie theaters in 2001, it was difficult to imagine anyone else playing Aragorn besides Viggo Mortensen. From his first appearance as the mysterious Strider to his eventual coronation as King of Gondor, Mortensen brought a combination of physicality, charisma, and controlled authority that made the character instantly iconic. For many fans, his performance is now inseparable from Tolkien’s future king.
Here’s the catch: Mortensen wasn’t the only actor who could have ended up carrying Andúril into battle. Several major stars were considered for the role, while one actor even spent months in New Zealand preparing to play Aragorn before being replaced. Others turned the opportunity down entirely, for reasons that make the casting history of The Lord of the Rings even more fascinating. Looking back at the actors who almost became Aragorn leaves fans with an irresistible question: Why did they turn down the chance to play one of fantasy’s most iconic heroes, and what might Aragorn — and perhaps The Lord of the Rings itself — have looked like with someone else in the role?
While he would’ve been an interesting choice, to say the least, Nicolas Cage once shared why he passed on the role. Apparently, playing Aragorn would’ve required Cage to travel and be away from home over a three-year period — something he was unable to commit to at the time. In hindsight, the production did indeed become a multi-year process, with the cast returning to New Zealand for additional filming and reshoots in the years that followed.
Nicolas Cage is also one of two actors on this list who won an Oscar. Cage’s casting would have been the riskiest alternate reality for The Lord of the Rings. His intensity was already well-known, but Aragorn requires a relatively restrained performance for much of the trilogy. As Aragorn, he might’ve brought an Oscar-winning intensity to Middle-earth—or at the very least, made “You bow to no one” significantly more unhinged among Lord of the Rings movie quotes.
Russell Crowe believes the studio had pressured Peter Jackson to discuss the role with him – despite his instincts telling him the director already had someone else in mind. Although Crowe says he doesn’t regret turning it down, he was reportedly offered 10% of the film’s gross—a deal that could have earned him a staggering $100 million in the early 2000s.
Russell Crowe had recently completed Gladiator and was a rising star during this era. Maximus has a lot of similarities with Aragorn, but tilts more on being a warrior first and foremost. Aragorn, meanwhile, spends much of The Lord of the Rings wrestling with the idea of becoming a king. Crowe could have brought an imposing physicality to the character rather than the reluctant heir Mortensen ultimately portrayed. If Crowe had accepted the role, he’d have definitely delivered the action intensity he was known for – and we might’ve seen him massacring all the Orcs in a coliseum before the war even began.
Stuart Townsend didn’t just almost play Aragorn — he was Aragorn. During the early stages of production, Stuart Townsend was officially cast as Aragorn. He spent two months in New Zealand rehearsing and training during pre-production, only to be let go on the very last day, just before filming officially began. It was later revealed by Mortensen that Townsend was considered too young for the role, as his age put him too close to the Hobbits in comparison. The decision was ultimately made to find someone older to replace him.
The experience apparently left a bad taste in his mouth, especially after Townsend noted that the production refused to pay him because he hadn’t completed the amount of work specified in his contract. Perhaps Amazon could reconsider casting him as Aragorn in its Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series—or, better yet, bring him back as a villain, a role he’d probably have no trouble finding motivation for.
There has been plenty of internet speculation surrounding the mystery of Daniel Day-Lewis’ potential casting as Aragorn. Rumors have long circulated that Peter Jackson offered him the role multiple times before ultimately choosing Viggo Mortensen. Although there doesn’t appear to be a definitive explanation for his decision, Day-Lewis has said that he wasn’t interested in appearing in commercial blockbuster films. Furthermore, there are claims out there that the actor would feel demoralizing effects from working on studio trilogies.
By this point, Daniel Day-Lewis had already won Oscars for My Left Foot and In the Name of the Father, making him the standout award-winning contender. His presence in the film could have elevated the project to even more respected heights. On top of that, he was notorious for his method acting—so imagine him living out in the wilderness like a ranger and shadow-dueling imaginary Orcs to master his weapons. Not to mention, he probably wouldn’t have taken conventional showers.
Ultimately, Viggo Mortensen took the role in true Hollywood-dramatic fashion: He signed on at the last minute after filming had already begun, with little time to rehearse or familiarize himself with the project. He received praise from critics and eventually had fans convinced that he was perfect for the role. During The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, he kicked an Uruk-hai helmet so hard during a scene that he fractured two of his toes and dropped to his knees in agony — all while remaining in character and creating another powerful moment in the LotR trilogy’s history. With that kind of commitment, it’s no wonder Middle-earth was in the right hands all along.
