
With that in mind, the best approach is to keep the number of characters manageable and suggest a vast world through the mechanics of the quest itself, rather than by constantly featuring well-known faces. Focus on characters naturally suited to a long, secretive pursuit: Rangers (giving Aragorn a purpose beyond simply traveling, and connecting him to a network of protectors), limited but logical Elven involvement (they notice everything and dislike being caught off guard), and a believable sense of Sauron’s forces closing in. The movie shouldn’t become a reunion of familiar characters from the Council; instead, it should embrace the core tension of this period in Middle-earth’s history: the fate of the world resting on the shoulders of exhausted individuals struggling to find answers before their enemies do. If it stays true to that, it will truly capture the spirit of Tolkien’s work.