One of the biggest questions heading into the season 1 finale of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is who is the mysterious Stranger that Nori Brandyfoot found after he fell from the sky in a ball of fire at the beginning of the series?
Is he Sauron, who has yet to appear in the series? One of the two Blue Wizards, the only Maia outside of Sauron who graced Middle-earth in the Second Age? Or has canon been slightly bent to allow him to be Gandalf, Saruman, or even Radagast, who didn’t arrive in Middle-earth until the Third Age in Tolkien’s books? Or is he someone else entirely? While actor Daniel Weyman couldn’t dish on the specifics of just who his character is (and yes, he does know who he is), he did tell us that he’s loving the speculation surrounding his character at New York Comic Con this past weekend.
“It’s really exciting! And they’re all so eloquent about why they’re coming up with them. And some of them are going to be right … or wrong!”
Weyman also mentioned how much he’s enjoyed evolving a character from essentially a clean slate and that the physicality of the role has made it easier to keep his true identity a secret, which he’s done masterfully so far.
So, start placing your bets! And keep the theories coming because the Stranger’s identity isn’t likely to be revealed just yet, even in the season finale.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 finale airs Friday, October 14 exclusively on Prime Video. The series has been greenlit for a season 2, and production is starting in the UK.
