Amazon reveals three additional character names from the cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. After years of keeping details under wraps, the marketing machine is finally underway for Amazon's upcoming The Lord of the Rings adaptation. The series was first announced back in 2017, and despite having one of the most massive casts in any fantasy series, Prime Video kept everything secret for the longest time. The show's title, The Rings of Power, wasn't even revealed until January 2022. Given that the J.R.R. Tolkien-based drama is less than seven months away from being shown to the world, Amazon has begun to unlock the many tight-lighted secrets surrounding the show.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is already making history by becoming the most expensive TV show ever produced, which the latest photos and footage has made evident. After having explored Middle-earth's Third Age in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, The Rings of Power focuses on the tale of the Second-Age, thousands of years prior. The Prime Video drama from showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay will explore the forging of the Rings of Power, as well as the villainous Sauron's rise to prominence. Payne and McKay have described the series as "the novel that Tolkien never wrote," promising new twists and turns that also honor the author's great work.
As Amazon has begun to unveil the names of most of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's massive cast, the studio discloses three additional series regulars. Daniel Weyman, Markella Kavenagh, and Benjamin Walker are now been confirmed to be playing The Stranger, Elanor ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot, and High King Gil-galad, respectively. Kavenagh was previously confirmed to be playing a harfoot, the Second-Age ancestors to hobbits. Gil-galad, meanwhile, was portrayed by Mark Ferguson in the prologue of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Aside from revealing their identities, no character descriptions are provided at this time.
The latest The Rings of Power teaser trailer actually does include all three cast members in various capacities. Nori is seemingly the first character to speak in the footage, asking if someone hasn't "ever wondered what else is out there?" A very concerned Gil-galad is seen looking up at one point, whose facial expression implies he is sensing something troublesome. The Stranger has at least one moment when he can be spotted; as Amazon confirms that the mystery hands holding the red apple are those of Weyman's character, it would appear that it's his hand that someone with smaller fingers grabs onto at the very end.
It's highly likely The Stranger is a placeholder name until The Rings of Power reveals his mystery role. Given the massive secrecy, it would make a lot of sense if this is someone that appeared in The Lord of the Rings films. It's always possible that the show is actually calling Weyman's character "The Stranger," but that seems very unlikely. With the official confirmation of these three characters, it will be intriguing to see what The Rings of Power reveals next as they get closer to their September 2 premiere date.
Source: Amazon Studios