The upcoming second season of Rings of Power isn’t afraid to expand the world of the show or the rosters of stars involved. The Lord of the Rings prequel has added 18 new elves, dwarves, low men, high men, and harfoots to Mordor (several who have also worked on another fantasy series). While we are still a journey away from returning to the rings, it has not stopped all of the breaking news of what’s to come (and not to come back) in season two. According to show creator J.D. Payne, every character introduced in the first season is fair game for the future, but what does that mean for all of the new faces involved? Get ready to meet the big crowd waiting for you by the Misty Mountains as we figure out what’s going on in Mordor.
Who’s leaving and who’s staying in Mordor?
How do you say “Mordor is getting a new Adar†in Elvish? Well, the role of Adar — a villainous orc who basically created the land of Mordor at the end of The Rings of Power’s well-lit first season — will be recast for the show’s second outing. Actor Sam Hazeldine — previous credits include The Sandman, The Last Duel, and Peaky Blinders — will now play Adar, taking over from Game of Thrones alum Joseph Mawle. The reason for the recast remains unknown. Along with the news came other season-two cast updates. Ciarán Hinds (Game of Thrones and Belfast), Rory Kinnear (Our Flag Means Death), Tanya Moodie (Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker), Gabriel Akuwudike (Ridley Road), Yasen “Zates†Atour (The Witcher), Ben Daniels (The Crown and House of Cards), Nia Towle (Persuasion), Oliver Alvin-Wilson (Lovesick), Stuart Bowman (The Pact), Gavi Singh Chera (The Undeclared War), William Chubb (Vampire Academy), Kevin Eldon (Game of Thrones), Will Keen (Borderland), Selina Lo (Hellraiser), Calam Lynch (Bridgerton) and Nicholas Woodeson (Paddington 2) join, along with Amelia Kenworthy making her television debut in the Lord of the Rings prequel. Despite the ever-growing cast list, their roles have not yet been shared.
Some of the stars returning for another round are Cynthia Addai-Robinson as MÃriel, Robert Aramayo as Elrond, Owain Arthur as Durin IV, Maxim Baldry as Isildur, Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn, Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir, Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor, Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn, Ema Horvath as Eärien, Markella Kavenagh as Elanor “Nori†Brandyfoot, Geoff Morrell as Waldreg, Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo, Peter Mullan as Durin III, Sophia Nomvete as Disa, Lloyd Owen as Elendil, Alex Tarrant as Valandil, Charlie Vickers as Sauron, Benjamin Walker as Gil-galad, and Daniel Weyman as the stranger.
Who’s directing?
After directing season one’s “Udûn†and “The Eye,†Charlotte Brändström returns to co-executive-produce and direct four episodes for season two. Outside of her work on the show, she has directed episodes of The Outsider, Jupiter’s Legacy, The Witcher, and The Man in the High Castle. Joining her to direct two episodes each are Sanaa Hamri and Louise Hooper. Hamri is a producer and director on The Wheel of Time, Empire, Shameless, Rectify, Nashville, Elementary, Glee, and Desperate Housewives as well as films like Something New and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Hooper got her start directing BBC Arts documentaries but has expanded to direct episodes of Flesh and Blood, The Sandman, and The Witcher.
When can we reenter Middle-Earth?
The second season is currently in production in the U.K., though a release date is still forthcoming. Start walking to Mordor now, and you might make it in time.