Luke Evans has closed the door on a Bard the Bowman comeback in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. The Welsh actor, who played the dragon-slaying archer in The Hobbit trilogy, told Variety that his character is human and would not be alive during the new film’s timeline. His answer arrived on October 23, 2026, and it settles one of the biggest casting questions hanging over Andy Serkis‘s Middle-earth return. The film is set for theatres on December 17, 2027, and several other Hobbit and Lord of the Rings stars are already confirmed.
Why Bard Cannot Be in the Film
The Hunt for Gollum takes place between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. That gap covers roughly 60 years in Tolkien’s timeline. Bard is a human, not an Elf or a Wizard, so his lifespan does not stretch across that period. Evans explained the maths during the interview.
“Well, if I’m correct, Bard is a human. I don’t think he would have been born, or is he dead? Is it in between? How far after The Hobbit is it?” — Luke Evans, speaking to Variety
The interviewer pointed out that the film sits between the two trilogies, leaving room for Bard to appear. Evans still said no.
“Yeah, I think Bain, my son, could be in it. But I think Bard doesn’t. Take me back to Wellington. I’d love to go!” — Luke Evans
Bain is Bard’s son in The Hobbit films, played by Scottish actor John Bell. In Tolkien’s writing, Bard dies in Third Age 2977, and Bain takes the throne of Dale. The Hunt for Gollum is set around Third Age 3001 and later, which places it well after Bard’s death. Bain would be the ruling king of Dale during the film’s events, not a young man.
The Door Stays Open for Wellington
Evans did not shut the door on Middle-earth completely. His comment about Wellington points to the New Zealand studios where Peter Jackson shot both trilogies. The actor made it clear he would return to that production world if the right role came along. The line also leaves space for a flashback or a different character, though nothing of that kind has been confirmed by the studio.
Who Is Confirmed for The Hunt for Gollum
Warner Bros. revealed the main cast at CinemaCon in April 2026. The line-up brings back several familiar faces and adds new ones.
- Andy Serkis returns as Gollum / Sméagol and also directs the film.
- Ian McKellen is back as Gandalf.
- Elijah Wood returns as Frodo Baggins.
- Lee Pace reprises his role as Thranduil, the Elven king of the Woodland Realm.
- Jamie Dornan plays Strider, the ranger who is later revealed as Aragorn.
- Kate Winslet joins as a new character named Marigol.
- Leo Woodall plays Halvard.
- Anya Taylor-Joy was later confirmed as Seren.
Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou wrote the screenplay. Peter Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens are producers. The film follows the search for Gollum in the years before The Fellowship of the Ring, filling a gap that the original trilogy did not show on screen.
What Bard Brought to The Hobbit
Evans first appeared in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as Girion, the Lord of Dale and Bard’s ancestor. He then played Bard the Bowman in The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies. Bard kills the dragon Smaug with a Black Arrow and later becomes King of Dale. His story arc made him one of the most popular human characters in the Hobbit trilogy.
Evans has stayed busy since those films. He earned a Tony nomination for playing Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Broadway. His new ITV drama The Party, based on Elizabeth Day‘s novel, is streaming on ITVX.
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Release Information
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum opens in theatres on December 17, 2027. The film will release in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and India through Warner Bros. Pictures. Global rollout will follow the standard Warner Bros. international schedule, with most major markets receiving the film in the same week. The film is the first live-action Lord of the Rings movie since The Battle of the Five Armies in 2014, not counting the animated The War of the Rohirrim from 2024.
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