There's already a lot to be excited about with regards to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in the lead-up to its premiere on Amazon Prime Video. Now, it appears the showrunners are already prepared to announce a fan-favorite character's role in season 2.
Whatever any given fan is most looking forward to, whether it be seeing Elrond and Galadriel from a whole new perspective or enjoying the vast landscapes of Middle-earth, there will be plenty of surprises going forward. This idea seems to go even further thanks to discussions of the show's 2nd season already going full steam. In fact, there's one big reveal that's already been spoiled for fans of Tolkien's work, and it pretty much ensures that at least one hardcore group of viewers will likely stick around for season 2 of the Lord of the Rings series
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According to the showrunners, season 2 of The Rings of Power will feature the debut of Círdan the Shipwright, who is among the oldest and most enlightened of the Elves. "We don't want to give too much away, but one character we're excited for folks to meet in season 2 is Círdan the Shipwright," said co-showrunner J.D. Payne while speaking with TIME. "In the time of our story, he's the oldest of all known Elves in Middle-earth-in fact he lived so long, he had a beard." This is significant, as no other Elves seen in the lore of Lord of the Rings have had beards, so even among the immortal race, Círdan far surpasses any of his kin.
The name Círdan may not be familiar to the more casual Lord of the Rings fans, but it's easy to forget how rich and deep the lore is when Peter Jackson's original trilogy so expertly managed to stand on its own. Círdan fought in the war against Sauron and was even present alongside Elrond, urging Isildur to destroy the One Ring after slashing it from the Dark Lord's hand. But what many likely don't know is that Círdan actually did appear in the film version of The Return of the King. When Elrond and Galadriel board their ship to leave Middle-earth in the epilogue, he greets them on the pier.
Anyone who's ever met a nerd knows that certain fans' ability to latch onto characters who only appear briefly in any given piece of media is legendary. Just like how Boba Fett became such a fan favorite after frankly doing very little during the events of the original Star Wars trilogy, it wouldn't be all that farfetched for movie fans to get excited about Círdan after basically seeing him once as a background figure. At least in this case he's already got plenty of rich lore behind him to work with.
The Rings of Power definitely has a lot going for it, and the vast wealth of lore that already exists is certainly a boon. With season 2 already confirmed along with at least one beloved character, fantasy fans are sure to have a lot to chew on for a good long while.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will premiere on September 2nd, 2022, on Prime Video.
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Source: TIME