The Rings of Power season 2: what we know about the hit Prime Video show's return

The Rings of Power season 2: key information

- No release date announced yet
- Filming reportedly completed before writers and actors strikes began
- On director has seen "rough cuts" of every episode
- Key cast set to return
- New cast members revealed
- Leaks reveal character identities and some plot details
- Series might start following Tolkien's lore more closely
- Expected to be darker than its predecessor
- Plans for season 3 already in the pipeline

Will The Rings of Power season 2 be released this year? That's the question on everyone's minds. Indeed, with filming reportedly wrapping on the popular non-canon prequel series' next entry in mid-2023, we'd expect it to debut sometime in 2024.

Unfortunately, we're none the wiser about whether Amazon will release The Rings of Power's second season before the year is over. The high fantasy series' return on Prime Video, then, is a big secret for the time being.

While we wait for an official launch date to be announced, you've got plenty of reading up to do on season 2 of one of the best Prime Video shows. That includes when we think it'll air, plus its confirmed cast, possible plot threads, and the series' future.

Major spoilers follow for The Rings of Power season 1, while potential season 2 spoilers are also on the way.

The Rings of Power season 2 release date: what we know

The Rings of Power season 2 doesn't have a release date yet. Thankfully, The Rings of Power was one of a few shows whose filming schedule wasn't interrupted by last year's bitter writers strike as it was shot in the UK, meaning principal photography could wrap before the now-resolved 2023 Hollywood actors strike also began.

As for when it might debut, Amazon Studios co-head Jennifer Salke told Esquire everyone wants to get season 2 "out into the world as soon as we can", before Vernon Sanders, Salke's fellow co-head, told Collider not to expect it in 2023.

More recently, Charlotte Brändström – who directed two episodes in season 1, and who has helmed four entries in its sequel season – told moviezine.se that she'd seen "rough cuts" for each episode in December 2023. That means its post-production phase, which includes editing individual installments to tell as tight a story as possible, is moving along at a decent pace.

Based on the above, we believe The Rings of Power will return to our screens in late 2024. Amazon won't want to compete with fellow fantasy genre show House of the Dragon, either. Indeed, House of the Dragon season 2 will debut on Max in mid-2024, so it's not in The Lord of the Rings prequel's interests to compete with its streaming rival for viewers' attention.

The Rings of Power season 2 cast: confirmed and rumored

Spoilers follow for The Rings of Power season 1. Potential season 2 cast spoilers are also discussed.

Here's who we expect to return in The Rings of Power season 2:

• Morfydd Clark as Galadriel

• Charlie Vickers as Sauron

• Robert Aramayo as Elrond

• Benjamin Walker as High King Gil-galad

• Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor

• Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir

• Nazain Boniadi as Bronwyn

• Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo

• Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Regent Míriel

• Lloyd Owen as Elendil

• Maxim Baldry as Isildur

• Ema Horvath as Eärien

• Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn

• Leon Wadham as Kemen

• Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV

• Sophia Nomvete as Princess Disa

• Markella Kavenagh as Eleanor 'Nori' Brandyfoot

• Dylan Smith as Largo Brandyfoot

• Sara Zwangobani as Marigold Brandyfoot

• Megan Richards and Poppy Proudfellow

• Daniel Weyman as The Stranger

As The Rings of Power season 1 finale revealed, Halbrand is actually Sauron. Whenever we see Vickers from now on, he'll be portraying The Lord of the Rings' iconic villain, not Hlabrand.

Meanwhile, Lenny Henry's Sadoc Burrows and The Mystics won't be back. Sadoc died in episode 8 after he was fatally injured him during a battle between The Stranger, Harfoots, and The Mystics – the latter being destroyed by The Stranger during the same fight.

We expect to see Alex Tarrant's Valandil, Geoff Morrell's Waldreg, Peter Mullan as King Durin III, Maxine Cunliffe as Vilma, and Thusitha Jayasundera as Malva next season, although Vilma and Malva's appearances depend on whether the Harfoot community returns (more on this later). Elsewhere, The Rings of Power season 2 has dropped a big name star, with Joseph Mawle, who played Adar, being replaced by Sam Hazeldine (Peaky Blinders).

Meanwhile, 17 other actors joined the cast in 2023. Six were announced in the Mawle departure press release (see the link above), eight more were forged in the fires of Mount Doom (metaphorically speaking), and a bunch of James Bond, Star Wars, and Harry Potter stars have also been added to the show's ranks.

• William Chubb (The Sandman)

• Kevin Eldon (Game of Thrones)

• Will Keen (His Dark Materials)

• Selina Lo (Hellraiser)

• Calum Lynch (Bridgerton, Derry Girls)

• Stuart Bowman (Alex Rider)

• Gavi Singh Chera (The Lazarus Project)

• Oliver Alvin-Wilson (Lovesick)

• Ben Daniels (Jupiter's Legacy)

• Yasen "Zates" Atour (Young Wallander)

• Gabriel Akuwudike (1917)

• Nia Towle (Persuasion)

• Nicholas Woodeson (Rome)

• Amelia Kenworthy (in her first major acting role)

• Ciaran Hinds (Harry Potter, Treason)

• Rory Kinnear (James Bond)

• Tanya Moodie (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker)

One character confirmed to debut in season 2 is Cirdan the Shipwright. In Tolkien's source material, Cirdan was Lord of the Falathrim in the First Age and owned one of the titular rings – Narya – before passing it onto Gandalf. Benjamin Walker, who plays High King Gil-galad, has teased (via Nerdist) that Cirdan will be an "important influence" on his character.

Cirdan isn't the only elf who could feature. In episode 7, Galadriel name-checked Celeborn, the elf she's wedded to and who she presumes is dead. However, Tolkien fans know he's still alive, that the duo eventually reunite, and then make the city of Lothlórien their permanent home.

Speaking at a press event that TechRadar attended, co-showrunner Patrick McKay refused to confirm Celeborn will appear in season 2, but did say: "We know there are things that the two of them do together in terms of progeny that they will issue, realms they will found, all kinds of things. So it would be very hard to believe that she would never see him again. But let’s see."

Elsewhere, Charles Edwards, who plays Celebrimbor, wants to see a deep-cut dwarf character, aka the dwarf known as Narvi, make their live-action debut. And it seems he'll get his wish, with The Fellowship of Fans (TFoF) suggesting we'll see Celebrimbor and Narvi create the Doors of Durin in a flashback sequence. Per the same fansite, Kevin Eldon will portray Narvi.

According to TFoF, newcomer Jamie Bisping has been cast as someone called Viran (it's unclear if this is a codename), and that William Cubb and Nichola Woodseon are on board as a Númenórean high priest called Lord Belzagar and a Pelargir character named Diarmid (again, no word on whether this is his actual name), too. The Witcher fansite Redanian Intelligence suggests Celesta Dodwell (Atlanta) has been cast in an unknown role and that Nia Towle's unnamed individual teams up with Isildur.

Finally, with the first of the titular rings being crafted in season 1 episode 8, we'll see the other 17 forged in season 2 (see the tweet above for confirmation). Characters like Khamûl the Easterling – one of the nine Ringwraiths – could make their live-action debut, then.

The Rings of Power season 2 plot rumors

Little is known about The Rings of Power season 2's plot. However, based on cast and crew quotes, plus what happened in the season 1 finale and J.R.R. Tolkien's source material, we can speculate on some story threads.

Now that Halbrand has been revealed as the show's big bad – Vickers told TechRadar he didn't know he was playing Sauron until filming the third episode – Middle-earth's iconic antagonist will surely take center stage.

For one, he's arrived in Mordor to make it his base of operations. Adar and his followers already inhabit this realm, so it'll be fascinating to see if they team up with Sauron. Vickers told TechRadar that he'd be excited to explore the pair's frosty relationship further, which we already glimpsed in season 1 episode 6, adding: "I really love that dynamic. These characters have a long history, so I'd be keen to explore that further and even build on it."

As for Sauron and Galadriel potentially crossing paths again, Clark told TechRadar: "I've always been obsessed with the mirror of Galadriel bit from The Lord of the Rings films. She can't let go until she's rejected this completely because she feels temptation in that. But only the tiniest amount because of how dreadful she knows it would be. So it would be interesting to see how she'd handle a reunion."

"I think the crux of their relationship is there's no peace in being alone," Vickers added. "Sauron eventually believes his peace will only come as a king and Galadriel is the one who's drawn that back out of him in season 1. You can view him as being repentant or manipulating her in that sense. He knows she's incredibly useful and can get him to meet the right people and be in the right circles to make these connections. Now that he's deceived her, and now that she's not told the elves about him, it would be fascinating to see how they would react to each other if they met again."

Not telling the elves about Sauron will cause problems for Galadriel. Elrond already knows she's lied to him, with the elven scholar discovering the Southlands' royal lineage scroll, which Galadriel used to work out who Halbrand was, in last season's finale.

"I don't think she's going to necessarily feel she made the right decision [not telling Elrond about Sauron]," Clark told TechRadar. "The elves will get things wrong and there are consequences to that. This is a big one and I think Galadriel will realize she's made a reckless and dangerous error."

Revealing what she's most looking forward to in season 2, Clark added: "Spending more time with the elves, whatever state those relationships are in, and just coming back to Galadriel's elvish-ness. We know she's going to become reclusive and secretive, and starting to turn into the Lady of Lothlórien. I'm excited to see what makes her decide to back away from what we've seen her throw herself into."

As for the rings, there are more to be created, including the One Ring. Will we see the Dark Lord craft the iconic piece of jewellery next time out? Vickers wouldn't say, but he told TechRadar that Sauron "has a plan". Take that as a yes, then.

Regarding their creation, Tolkien's source material reveals the rings for the dwarves and men (seven and nine respectively) were created alongside the One Ring and elven bands.

However, the latter three's creation didn't happen alongside the others in Amazon's TV show, which has played pretty loose with some Tolkien lore. Given Sauron can't return to Eregion, he needs to craft the other rings if he hopes to enslave the dwarven lords and kings of men. That's unless Sauron disguises himself as Annatar – like he does in Tolkien's works – and tricks Celebrimbor into fashioning the other rings. It would be weird if Celebrimbor is deceived again, though, hence why we think Sauron will craft them alone.

Another big question concerns The Stranger. We know he's one of the Istari, aka one of the five wizards sent to Middle-earth by the Valar (Middle-earth's gods, essentially) to aid its races in the fight against Sauron. Season 1 finale seemed to confirm his real identity, although none of the cast found out that The Stranger was a wizard until the final throes of filming.

Read our Rings of Power season 1 recaps

- The Rings of Power episodes 1 and 2 review
- The Rings of Power episode 3 recap
- The Rings of Power episode 4 recap
- The Rings of Power episode 5 recap
- The Rings of Power episode 6 recap
- The Rings of Power episode 7 recap
- The Rings of Power episode 8 recap

Anyway, The Stranger and Nori are heading off to Rhûn in Middle-earth's far eastern regions to find out what his name is, more about his past, and how to channel his powers properly. Will they run into Khamûl or the two Blue Wizards (providing The Stranger isn't one of that duo)?

Elsewhere, we need to learn about the fate of the Southlanders. Season 1 episode 7 confirmed the Southlands is the region that becomes Mordor after The Rings of Power episode 6's explosive ending. Additionally, Bronwyn revealed the remaining Southlanders would resettle in Pelargir, a city on the banks of the river Anduin that becomes Gondor's main port in the Third Age.

It's unlikely season 1 will mark the end of the Southlanders' time in the series. In Tolkien's source material, Pelargir becomes a haven for the Faithful – Númenóreans who are friendly with the elves – during the island kingdom's moral decline in the Second Age, too. If events play out like they do in Tolkien's works, we'll see Elendil and company reunite with Arondir, Bronwyn, and Theo.

As for the Harfoots (minus Nori), they're headed for pastures new again. Speaking during a press screening, which TechRadar attended, McKay confirmed we'll be reunited with the Harfoots at some point and even teased their involvement in Hobbiton's founding.

Over in Khazad-dûm, King Durin III and Prince Durin IV need to resolve their familial dispute. The former stripped his son of his titles after they fell out over the mining of mithril, but they should make amends, which leads Durin III to join the fight against Sauron. Based on Tolkien's literary works, King Durin sends an army of dwarven warriors to try and save Eregion from destruction during the War of the Elves and Sauron. So, it would make sense for him to see the error of his ways, and that dwarves and elves need to work together to combat the Dark Lord.

The battle for Eregion could also see Gil-galad's warrior side come out. Benjamin Walker told Nerdist that Gil-galad's spear – Aeglos – will see some action and that he'll become more of a war general in season 2.

The two Durins will also need to set their differences aside to deal with a prominent Balrog – aka Durin's Bane – in season 1 episode 7. Asked by TechRadar if we'll see Durin's Bane again soon, McKay simply teased: "Season 2, sir. Stay tuned."

Then there's the upheaval in Númenor. King Palantir is dead, meaning Queen Regent Míriel should be crowned the island realm's next ruler. With Míriel blinded in episode 7 and based on what we know of Númenor's history, though, Pharazôn will make a play for the throne. That, alongside Sauron's potential return to Númenor – we don't know this will be tackled yet – will eventually lead to the kingdom's downfall.

And what of Elendil, Isildur, and Eärien? The former will be grieving for his son – although, we know Isildur is alive, given the role he plays in Sauron's defeat in the Second Age – while still carrying out his Númenorean duties. Meanwhile, Eärien discovered the palantír in the season 1's final entry. Will she use it to see into Númenor's future? Her decision to do so or not could have big implications for everyone.

Fans will be relieved to hear The Rings of Power season 2 will follow Tolkien's materials more closely, too. Co-showrunner JD Payne told The Hollywood Reporter: "Season two has a canonical story. There may well be viewers who are like, ‘This is the story we were hoping to get in season one!’ In season two, we’re giving it to them". Speaking on the official Rings of Power podcast, Payne added: "[In] season 2 there is a lot more canon that we are interested in adapting and bringing to life".

That extends to some major battles in Tolkien's legendary works, with Sanders telling Deadline: "You will see bigger battles in season two including some iconic moments from the appendices and the books". According to Isildur actor Maxim Baldry (via Variety): "There’s a lot more action", so color us excited for more battles akin to those in season 1's latter half.

The Rings of Power season 2 trailer: is there one?

Nope. Once one is released for The Rings of Power season 2, we'll let you know.

Will The Rings of Power get more seasons?

The Rings of Power season 2 won't be the series' final installment. Payne and McKay have planned for five seasons, which is already mapped out. Amazon has only greenlit two seasons but Amazon Studios co-head Vernon Sanders revealed (via Deadline) that talks had taken place about a third season. Fansite theonering.net has also claimed that half of season 3 has already been written, so we might get an update sometime soon.

Embracer Group's acquisition of The Lord of the Rings IP might affect season 3 and other seasons – executive producer Lindsey Weber is unsure how it'll impact the series – too. With the embattled corporation laying off thousands of employees in recent months after a multi-billion dollar investment fell through, however, it's unclear if Embrace will eventually have to sell the rights to The Lord of the Rings.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery is making new Lord of the Rings films (per The Guardian), including its War of the Rohirrim animated flick, which arrives in late 2024. In short: we'll get more Lord of the Rings content adjacent to Amazon's prequel series before the year ends.

Even with all of these other projects, The Rings of Power isn't in danger of being canned. It was one of most-watched shows in Prime Video's history so, unless the second season suffers a huge drop off in viewership, you can expect at least one more season. After that, who know what'll happen.

For more Prime Video-based coverage, read up on all of the new Prime Video movies coming soon. Alternatively, find out what the best Prime Video movies are, or get the lowdown on Invincible season 2 part 2.