The most recent trailer for The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug highlights the return of Orlando Bloom as Legolas also gives audiences a teaser of Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular dragon.

Fans finally get to sense an aspect of Cumberbatch's portrayal of the dragon Smaug, the dragin is not seen in the clip but his voice is heard. "Where are you? Come now, don't be shy... Step into the light," Cumberbatch's voice snarls in the role of the dragon. The dragon can be seen in the first trailer of the film, which came out earlier this year.

The trailer also features the return of the arrow-shooter Legolas (Orlando Bloom). Director Peter Jackson spoke to Screen Rant about Bloom's character and his importance in the film's sequels:

"He's [Elvenking] Thranduil's son, and Thranduil is one of the characters in 'The Hobbit,' and because elves are immortal, it makes sense Legolas would be part of the sequence in the Woodland Realm."

As Bilbo and his troop of dwarfs head toward the Lonely Mountain to reclaim their homeland, there is a whole lot of monster slaying and action sequences. The trailer also alludes to a growing romance between Legolas and Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly). But it seems like this will be a one-sided affair. In the clip, a voice warns Tauriel, "Legolas has grown very fond of you, do not give him hope where there is none." Tauriel, who is an elf, is a new character being introduced in the second installment.

Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans) plays a very key role in this film and the character will be reprised in the next installment, There and Back Again). Legolas will also feature in the last film of the trilogy but the nature of his role, which could also just be a cameo, isn't known yet.

The film also features Beorn (Mikael Persbrandt), who can shift between the form of a man and bear, and Smaug the Dragon (Benedict Cumberbatch).

Filming for The Hobbit: There and Back Again is already underway.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug hits theaters on Dec. 13. The Hobbit: There and Back Again is scheduled for release on Jul. 18 of 2014.

Watch the trailer here:

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The hobbit 2, The hobbit: desolation of smaug, Orlando Bloom