The second season of The Rings of Power will feature new actor Adar after Joseph Maul surprisingly left the project.
Mawle has been replaced by Sam Hazeldine (Peaky Blinders) in the second season of the hugely popular Prime Video show, Amazon Studios announced in a press release.
No reason was given for Mawle’s departure, but we’ve reached out to Amazon for official comment. We’ll update this article if we hear back.
Despite being replaced as the leader of the Orcs, Mawle had nothing but good things to say about his time on The Rings of Power season 1. Through his personal Twitter account after the news broke, the former Game of Thrones actor expressed his gratitude for being able to play a small but… Important in the mythical world of JRR Tolkien:
I loved my time exploring middle-earth and diving into Tolkien’s mythology. I’m honored that the character was likable. He took great care to tell you his story. Although as an actor, it remains my wish, my job description to explore new characters and worlds. Wish everyoneDecember 1, 2022
In addition to reprising the role of Adar, six other actors (besides Hazeldine) have been added to The Rings of Power season 2:
- Gabriel Akoudecki (1917, The War of the Worlds)
- Yasin Zats-Ator (The Witcher Season 2, Young Wanderer)
- Ben Daniels (The Crown, Jupiter’s Legacy)
- Nicholas Woodson (Roma, Silent Witness)
- Nia Toole (Persuasion)
- Amelia Kenworthy (unavailable)
Amazon hasn’t confirmed which characters these actors will play, but Hazeldine and his co-stars will all have “recurring roles” on one of Prime Video’s top offerings, according to the studio’s press release.
Rings of Power showrunners Patrick McKay and JD Payne have confirmed that Cirdan the Shipwright – one of Middle-earth’s oldest elves – will appear in season two. Woodson is the oldest of the new cast members, so he’s a logical fit for Cerdan’s role, in our opinion.
In a brief statement accompanying the new cast announcements, Amazon’s Head of Global Television Vernon Sanders said, “Since its premiere, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power It brought audiences together to experience the magic and wonder of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantastic Middle-earth.
“To date, Season 1 is Prime Video’s best-selling original series in every region and has been watched by more than 100 million people worldwide, truly a global success that speaks to the universal nature of its powerful storytelling. We welcome these incredible actors to our Fellowship and look forward to More amazing second-life stories told in season two.”
The Rings of Power cast additions appear just 10 days after another big announcement surrounding the show. On November 21, a Power Episodes documentary was released on Prime Video, detailing the development of the series’ first season on Expensive.
Meanwhile, production on the second season of The Rings of Power began in late October, with principal photography taking place in the United Kingdom rather than New Zealand. No release date has been set for the show’s return, but we suspect it won’t arrive until sometime in 2024.
For more Lord of the Rings-focused content from Amazon, read our article on Season 1 of Rings of Power. Instead, find out when a Rings of Power star learned he was playing Sauron and why The Stranger’s big reveal of the cast has been delayed until the past few months.
