Ian McKellen is interested in returning to play Gandalf in the recently announced The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, but there’s an important catch. McKellen, who previously appeared as Middle-earth’s watchful wizard in the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as The Hobbit trilogy, spoke about a potential return during an interview with The Times . He says he’s heard Gandalf could return but clarifies that there "is no script, there is no offer, there is no plan.

" His decision to return as the character is up to one thing: whether or not he’s still around. "If I'm alive." When asked if he’d be interested in playing Gandalf once more, he plainly said, "If I’m alive.

" The 85-year-old McKellen last played the character in 2014’s The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, meaning it’s been almost a decade since he last put on the wizard’s hat and robe. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, meanwhile, isn’t set to arrive until 2026 at the earliest , with early script work now underway. McKellen isn't the only actor who's commented on the possibility of returning to the franchise.

Viggo Mortensen, who played Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, also recently said he'd be interested in reprising the role for The Hunt for Gollum, but acknowledged that it would have to justify him being two decades older than he was in the previous films. Details on The Hunt for Gollum are light, but we do know a bit about how the film will explore An.