Beorn is a major character in the hobbit book and a very strange character at that. Peter Jackson has said in an interview that Beorn is the kind of character one wants to write more material for. Knowing Jackson Beorn will be expanded on greatly, Azog is still alive and hunting the dwarves and his son is Bolg who has shown to wear bear claws as shoulderpads.
Also in an interview with Mikael Persbrand the guy who plays beorn said at the first day shooting he was hoisted up in the cealing to do a torture scene. Now why would he be hoisted up in the cealing, I find it somehow unlikely that they'd hoist Beorn 3 meter tall half giant up in the cealing to torture him. It's more likely that he was hoisted up in the cealing to do some far leap at some orc.
After all in the book he did torture and decapitate an orc, maybe it's Azog that he tortured and killed? This would be a great introduction to the strength of Beorn it would also set up a special hate relationship with his son Bolg that Beorn will slay later in the movie. I don't know I just don't think that Azog will be around at the battle of the five armies, he will have to be finished off before then. I see no way for Thorin to be able to kill him before Mirkwood, it would kind of make sense for Beorn to kill him.
Imagine that, the dwarves and Biblo arrive at his house only to see Azog's head on a pole. Azog has been built up as this super villain throughout the first movie, it would be a very cool introduction to Beorn. Beorn's reason for going at Azog in the first place would be because his son Bolg has hunted his kindred...bears...
On the other hand jackson could have included Beorn in the Dol Guldur sub plot, in which case the reason Mikael was hoisted up in the cealing was because he was tortured by someone, maybe Bolg maybe the necromancer himself. (Think The black cauldron disney movie). In which case he would probably be rescued by Gandalf or somehow escape without his bear friends whose claws would be used by the torturer as shoulderpads.
However I'd prefer to see Azog's head on a pole, it would be a great introduction to the fearsome Beorn. There are too many major villains in the second and third movies that to squeeze in Azog would be over kill. Better to kill him off early, then Thorin could focus more on his heart of the mountain that was introduced at the start of the story and his hatred of elves.
Anyway what role do you think Beorn will have in the movies?
