The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video got a big chunk of star power in its corner for its upcoming second season. Not content to rest on its already stellar cast, the impressively expensive series has added some talent from Black Mirror and Game of Thrones to its roster. It looks like things are about to escalate in the ever-changing land of Middle-earth.
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 is still a way off, which means there's plenty of time for new info to slowly trickle down while eager fans set in for the long and agonizing wait. It's already been confirmed that one key role would be recast for Rings of Power season 2, but as for new characters altogether, not much news has come through the pipeline. Thankfully, that drought has now temporarily ended with the announcement of 3 new stars set to join when the series finally returns. Based on the news,vThe Rings of Power still intends to spare no expense.
The official Lord of the Rings on Prime Twitter account announced a new trio of heavy-hitting stars set to join The Rings of Power for its second season. This includes Irish actor Ciarán Hinds (Belfast, Game of Thrones), English actor Rory Kinnear (Black Mirror, Our Flag Means Death), and Canadian-born British actress Tanya Moodie (A Discovery of Witches, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker). No information has been given regarding what roles they will play, but their presence alone is surely enough to perk up a few ears.
Many will recognize Hinds as Mance Rayder from HBO's Game of Thrones. Amusingly, the actor previously said he stopped watching Game of Thrones after his character died. Hopefully, things turn out differently for him this time around. Meanwhile, Kinnear appeared in the Black Mirror episode "The National Anthem" as Prime Minister Michael Callow. However, others may know him better as twin brothers Nigel and Chauncey Badminton on HBO Max's pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death. Finally, Moodie earned some clout playing General Parnadee in 2019's Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker while starring as Agatha Wilson on the British series A Discovery of Witches from 2018-2022.
The Rings of Power attempts to fill in the gaps during the decades leading up to the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy of books and films. The series uses much of author J.R.R. Tolkien's previously established lore while taking several liberties with various characters and stories. Season 1 earned mixed reviews, leading the writers to directly address criticisms while working on The Rings of Power season 2. It's unknown if this casting news has anything to do with that effort. But odds are the characters themselves were already set in stone, given the overarching story plan the showrunners appear to have.
As fun as season 1 was, there are many things that it couldn't hurt to address. This includes pacing and writing issues alongside external forces like the racist backlash against certain The Rings of Power actors. Unfortunately, such things continue to happen in this day and age. But here's hoping those dishonest gripes get drowned out and the show gets a chance to shine.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 aims to premiere on Prime Video in 2024.