Orlando Bloom says he’d 'hate' to see another actor play Legolas

As The Lord of the Rings franchise expands with Andy Serkis’ upcoming film The Hunt for Gollum, Orlando Bloom has made it clear he’s not ready to see someone else step into the role of Legolas—if the character appears at all.

“I’d hate to see anyone else play Legolas, you know what I mean?” Bloom told Today (via EW). “What are they going to do, put someone else in? With AI, they can do anything these days!”

Set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, The Hunt for Gollum follows various characters searching for Gollum, who possesses knowledge about the One Ring. The film draws from a time hinted at in The Fellowship of the Ring, when Gandalf and Aragorn search for Gollum to prevent the Ring from falling into Sauron’s hands.

While Bloom’s involvement is unconfirmed, Ian McKellen recently revealed he’ll return as Gandalf, and Elijah Wood will also reprise his role as Frodo.

As for Bloom, he says he hasn’t heard anything yet. “I have not heard a peep, actually,” he said. “I know it’s focusing on Gollum, so anything’s possible. And I went back for The Hobbit.”

Now 48, Bloom portrayed Legolas in all three Lord of the Rings films and returned for the final two Hobbit movies. Whether he’ll return again remains uncertain.

“It’s such an amazing part,” Bloom said. “I’m so grateful to have been a part of those movies. But I haven’t heard.”