LOTR: Shadow of the Past - Which New & Returning Characters We Should Expect to See

Following the announcement that Stephen Colbert is co-writing a new Lord of the Rings sequel, fans of JRR Tolkien’s world have been buzzing with speculation. 

Colbert’s The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past will reportedly take place some 14 years after Frodo sets sail for the Undying Lands. The story follows Sam, Merry, and Pippin as they retrace the early steps of their journey from The Fellowship of the Ring (Chapters 3 through 8), while Sam’s daughter, Elanor, uncovers an old secret tied to the War of the Ring. 

While we know Sam, Merry, and Pippin are confirmed, there’s plenty of room for both familiar faces and new characters—including the fan-favourite Tom Bombadil—to appear. If you need a refresher on where each character ended up after The Return of the King, we’ve got you covered over here. Otherwise, let’s dive into who we might see in The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past.

Characters Definitely Appearing in Shadow of the Past

Sam Gamgee

The official synopsis specifically names Sam, Merry, and Pippin, so we can be pretty certain that they will return in Shadow of the Past. At the end of The Return of the King, Sam marries Rosie and becomes father to a herd of little hobbits, including a daughter named Elanor (more on her later).

In addition to his brimming home life, Sam becomes the Mayor of the Shire some six years after Frodo set sail from the Grey Havens. Since Sam served a total of seven terms, he will likely still be mayor when Shadow of the Past begins. While casting hasn’t been confirmed, Sean Astin seems the obvious choice for the role, since he and the others not only defined their characters in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but are the perfect age to reprise their roles now.

Merry Brandybuck

Like Sam, Merry also appears in the official synopsis, making his return a sure thing. After The Return of the King, Merry marries Estella Bolger and becomes the Master of Buckland. While we know they had a son, Tolkien never gave him a name, so it’s equally possible Colbert and Co. will either name him or leave him out of the story entirely. 

With no casting news yet, we can only speculate that Dominic Monaghan will play Merry again. In the original trilogy, Merry and Pippin’s dynamic was a highlight, and both Monaghan and Boyd continue to act, so barring any unforeseen issues, I can see no reason why they wouldn’t return. 

Pippin Took

The third of the trio, Pippin, will return as part of the original crew retracing their steps out of the Shire. After Frodo’s departure, Pippin married Diamond of Long Cleeve and had a son named Faramir. Like Sam, he also takes up an official government position as their military leader, Thain of the Shire. Without an official announcement, we can’t guarantee that Billy Boyd will return to his role, but it seems like a no-brainer.

Elanor Gamgee

Elanor is Sam and Rosie’s eldest daughter, and seems set to play an important part in Shadow of the Past. Elanor briefly appears as a toddler at the end of The Return of the King, played by Sean Astin’s real-life daughter, Ali Astin. Ali has since become an actress herself—most recently starring in 2026’s Matter of Time alongside her pop—so it would be fitting to see her reprise her role as Elanor.

This part has a lot of potential to carry the Lord of the Rings franchise forward with a new generation, as Elanor will discover a secret about the War of the Ring and how it was almost lost that might open up new storylines—but let’s not put the cart before the horse.

Characters Likely Appearing in Shadows of the Past 

Tom Bombadil & Goldberry

Fans of Tolkien's books were mightily disappointed when Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry were left out of Peter Jackson’s films, but luckily Shadow of the Past seems keen to right past wrongs. Although Tom Bombadil recently appeared (played by Rory Kinnear) in Amazon’s The Rings of Power series, alongside Goldberry’s brief offscreen voice, we have yet to see either on the big screen.

Since Shadow of the Past is set to retrace the hobbits’ first steps out of the Shire—including Chapters 6 and 7, where they stay with Tom Bombadil and Goldberry—it seems likely we'll finally meet the jolly Tom and Goldberry in their full glory. It wouldn’t be surprising if Kinnear returned as Tom, while a new casting brought Goldberry to life for the first time.

Characters Less Likely to Appear in Shadows of the Past

Aragorn

According to Colbert, Shadows of the Past will mainly focus on the Fellowship of the Ring Chapters 3 through 8 (‘Three Is Company’ to ‘Fog on the Barrow-Downs’). As you might remember, Chapter 8 sees the hobbits nearly killed by Barrow-wight after it enchants and captures them in its tomb. Luckily, they are saved by Tom Bombadil, and the hobbits continue their journey on to Bree, where they encounter the mysterious Strider—later revealed to be Aragorn.

While they may end the film with the hobbits sharing a nostalgic pint with Aragorn at the Green Dragon Inn in Bree, it’s far from certain. It is also possible we’ll see Aragorn worked into the story in other ways, but we’ll simply have to wait to find out. Fans of the character can rest assured that he’ll definitely appear in the franchise’s other in-development side project, The Hunt for Gollum, with Jamie Dornan taking over for Viggo Mortensen.

Characters We Might See In Flashbacks

Frodo

Since Frodo sailed to the Undying Lands from the Grey Havens at the end of The Return of the King, it is unlikely that he’ll join the other hobbits on their present journey. But he may yet appear in Shadows of the Past in flashback form—or who knows, maybe he decides to sail back to the Shire for one last hurrah?

Gandalf

The same goes for Gandalf. At the end of The Return of the King, Gandalf heads back to the Undying Lands, his mission on Middle-earth complete. Since he played such an important role in Chapter 2—uncoincidentally titled ‘Shadows of the Past’—in which he explains the One Ring and how it could be destroyed to Frodo, it seems likely that Gandalf will at least be mentioned, if not appear in flashback form.

In addition, Tolkien mentions in The Return of the King that before heading to the Grey Havens, Gandalf visited Tom Bombadil. If the hobbits meet Tom again, we may get more insight into what they discussed before Gandalf’s departure. The character does play a crucial role in the hunt for Gollum storyline, though; so, like Aragorn, we’ll instead next see him in that film, with Ian McKellen expected to reprise his role.