The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star Daniel Weyman addresses the predominant fan theories regarding the identity of his character, the Stranger. Based on The Lord of the Rings books by author J.R.R. Tolkien, The Rings of Power is Prime Video's biggest foray into the fantasy genre yet. The show, which has earned generally positive reviews from critics, tells the story of the rise of evil during the Second Age of Middle-earth. While The Rings of Power brings back some familiar characters, like Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Elrond (Robert Aramayo), the show also introduces a host of new ones.
Among the new characters is Weyman's Stranger. The mysterious unkempt man falls out of the sky in The Rings of Power episode 1 and is taken in by Nori (Markella Kavenagh), a young Harfoot. It quickly becomes apparent that the Stranger possesses an array of magical powers, ranging from beautiful to dangerous. Despite becoming more immersed in Harfoot culture since his fall to Middle-earth, The Rings of Power episode 7 sees the character banished from the group after toppling a tree branch that nearly crushes Nori. With the Stranger's identity still completely unknown, The Rings of Power fans continue to theorize whether he could secretly be Gandalf or Sauron, or perhaps a new character entirely.
In a new interview with EW at NYCC, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star Daniel Weyman addresses fan theories regarding the Stranger and his possible identity. The actor is definitely aware of many of the predominant theories but is careful not to give anything away regarding which ones might be right. Check out Weyman's full comment below:
“I’m aware of the two great extremes and I like them both. I think let’s see what happens there. Some friends who are quite big Tolkien fans just eat up all the little clues that are in the show and come to me every week going, ‘So now I know.’ And it’s quite difficult to keep a straight face because I don’t want to give anything away.
"But what I love most about that, is you've got a huge number of people in the world who have some ownership over these words that Tolkien wrote and these characters that were written, and they're coming up with really reasoned arguments as to why it could be this or that. That makes somebody like me really excited to play a character and also humble about what we're all entering. This isn't our show, it's the world's show."
Who Is The Stranger In The Rings Of Power?
Weyman's comment about the "two great extremes" would suggest that he's familiar with the theories that the Stranger in The Rings of Power might be Gandalf or Sauron. While Sauron remains a valid theory, recent episodes of the show are certainly hinting that Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) is a more likely candidate to be the Dark Lord of Mordor. Considering the Stranger's magical abilities and his general appearance, Gandalf, overall, seems like it's the more likely possibility.
Of course, despite the evidence to suggest that the Stranger is actually Gandalf the Grey, played in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movies by Sir Ian McKellen, there are some reasons why this may not be the case. First and foremost, Tolkien writes in his novels that the famed wizard doesn't arrive in Middle-earth until the Third Age, meaning the Stranger being Gandalf in The Rings of Power would be a major departure from the lore. With the finale to season 1 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power set to release on Prime Video this week, it's possible that the answer to the Stranger's identity is not far off.
Source: EW