Content overview: “Luke Evans Clarifies Whether Bard Returns in Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum”. Luke Evans, who played Bard the Bowman in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy, recently addressed speculation about his potential return in the upcoming film The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. The movie, directed by Andy Serkis, is set to release in December 2026 and will focus on the character Gollum, with Serkis also reprising his iconic role. Evans confirmed that he has not been approached to reprise Bard, stating that the character's story was concluded in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
He noted that Bard's arc ended with him becoming King of Dale, and there is no narrative need for him in the new story, which is set centuries later. Evans expressed enthusiasm for the project and Serkis's involvement, but made clear that Bard will not be part of The Hunt for Gollum. This listing links straight to the original page, where the content is available in full.