I hope its not the same characters.

Its hard to drum up tension for a battle when you know the hero/ine will survive.

Hm, I disagree. Usually when you read a book/watch a movie, you do have a pretty good idea who will survive. I mean, even in the original trilogy, most people knew how things would go down since the books were well known. I would say more interesting is how it goes down, and you can still have tension even if you know the final outcome. Same thing with folk tales: you know the hero is going to win, but it is still enjoyable to hear the tale told.

I guess you have a point.

But let me try another counter: how much more enjoyable were the big scenes in Game of Thrones? I think you know the ones I am talking about.

I still enjoy rewatching Breaking Bad but the shock and recognition of watching these shows the first time is superior.

Yup, you're right. It does add something for sure. I guess the further away a show/movie strays from common tropes the more important is the value of not knowing what will happen.

How about the origin stories of the Ents and of Beorn