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Anya Taylor-Joy has joined the upcoming Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum as an original character called Seren. She is a Sindar Elf of the Woodland Realm who is described as "a trusted and lethal agent of King Thranduil."
Lee Pace's Thranduil has already been confirmed to be returning, alongside Andy Serkis as Gollum, Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo. Taylor-Joy joins newcomers Kate Winslet, who'll be Marigol, Jamie Dornan, who is playing Aragorn/Strider, and Leo Woodall, who has joined as Halvard.
Lord of the Rings fans have been reacting to the casting news, but it's fair to say the community has had a mixed reaction. While most agree that Taylor-Joy is a fantastic actor and also has a Elven look about her, many are concerned about new non-canon characters being brought into the story.
"Who? What is happening. Why do they do this. Make up characters. It didn’t work in The Hobbit. It doesn’t work in ROP," one wrote on Reddit. A second agreed, writing: "I absolutely adore Anya as an actress so this isn't directed at her as a person but I really wish they would stop making up shit and adding it to the story."
Another is concerned about the naming of Seren, adding that the "names of new characters announced for this film are definitely red flags". They explained: "Seren means ‘Star’ in Welsh. Welsh, and Finnish, were linguistic sources of inspiration for Tolkien when he developed Quenya and Sindarin (the languages of the Elves). Call me pedantic, but that does not make Welsh canon, nor does the name make etymological sense in the fiction. Nearly all names in Tolkien’s works have meaning, and with so many Tolkien scholars today, why not derive a Quenya or Sindarin name?"
Others have been more positive on the casting. Replying to the news on Twitter, one fan wrote: "Anya as an elf is perfect casting." Another wrote: "An incredible casting choice. Anya Taylor-Joy already has the presence of a First Age Elf." A third agreed, adding: "Anyone who is upset about this casting choice needs to reevaluate their life choices."
Taylor-Joy is also a huge Lord of the Rings fan, previously telling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that it's her "goal in life" to look like an Elf.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will be released on December 17, 2027. In the meantime, return to Middle-earth with our guides on The Rings of Power season 3 and how to watch the Lord of the Rings movies in order.
