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The discrepancy between the cinematic and literary representations arises significantly through character arcs and backstory. In the films, Azog, the chief orc, appears as an antagonist, but in the books, he had already died prior to The Hobbit's events. His son, Bolg, leads the orc army in the texts—an important distinction that changes the dynamics of orc leadership in relation to Beorn.
Both texts allude to Beorn and his people being expelled from their homeland by orcs. Gandalf’s insights in the books state:
"Beorn is a man descended from the first men who lived in the hills before the orcs came from the North and invaded them."
This establishes Beorn not just as a survivor, but as a legacy of resilience and power—central themes in Tolkien's narratives.