The Stranger Being An OG LOTR Character On Rings Of Power Wasn’t Always The Plan, And The Showrunners Explained Why

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As a seasoned gamer and longtime Tolkien enthusiast who has spent countless hours delving into Middle-earth’s lore, I must say that the revelation of Daniel Weyman’s character as Gandalf in The Rings of Power was both a thrilling surprise and an unexpected journey.

Spoilers for the recent season of The Rings of Power can be found throughout this article.

For two full seasons, viewers speculated about the identity of The Stranger on “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”. Finally, at the end of Season 2, it was confirmed that Daniel Weyman’s character was indeed Gandalf. However, despite being a widely held theory early in the series, this wasn’t the original intention, as showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne clarified.

As it transpired, Gandalf’s true nature was not clear-cut from the beginning. Although The Stranger was unveiled as a sorcerer in Season 1, his actual identity remained hidden until the finale of Season 2. During an episode on the House of R podcast, McKay admitted that they hadn’t initially planned out this character’s journey as clearly, stating:

It wasn’t initially clear to us where our journey would lead, as there’s a humorous anecdote that I recently shared and even Markella Kavenagh (Nori’s actress) mentioned at a recent event. This anecdote goes back to the first rehearsal five years ago with Mr. Stranger and J.A. Bayona, where Markella had humorously asked, “By any chance, is he Gandalf?” before we began our work.

As a gamer, I’ve always been intrigued by the mystery surrounding the Harfoot actress’ character. Initially, it seemed like her identity wasn’t fully revealed yet. Even if it was, Daniel Weyman, our Gandalf in this epic journey, chose to stay clueless about it, as the showrunner explained, maintaining that suspense and excitement for all of us viewers.

Daniel Weyman, in his characteristic manner, accepted the response, saying something along the lines of, ‘I prefer not to know, as he doesn’t know yet. He’s at an early stage, similar to an infant discovering himself and the world. Each step of this journey is significant, and revealing his identity prematurely or giving him prior knowledge would distort the story we are trying to tell.’ This sentiment seems to have guided our approach for quite some time, whether intentionally or not.

Indeed, here’s the gist of it. Although hints suggested The Stranger was indeed Gandalf, the character development wasn’t strictly predetermined.

They also had choices at their disposal; there were five wizards from which to choose – Radagast, one of the two blue-robed wizards, Saruman or Gandalf. After careful deliberation, it transpired that Weyman was indeed the wizard portrayed by Ian McKellen in the movies. Here’s how McKay described their thought process:

Gradually, as we spent more time with this character, it became increasingly apparent who he was. At some stage, it struck us, ‘Ah, so that’s what this is about,’ indicating that the character’s identity had always been there, even if not immediately obvious. Essentially, we didn’t want to label him prematurely or impose a name on the show or character. Instead, we wanted his development to organically reach a point where he seemed deserving of the title in a way that felt unique and authentic, distinct from any preconceptions, including his own.

Later on, J.D. Payne mentioned that numerous inquiries about The Stranger had been made, probing into his identity. He pointed out that understanding his abilities, how he manages them, their purpose, and other related aspects gradually unveiled his nickname. By the finale of Season 2, it seemed almost evident what his name was.

It was quite clear, really. If he hadn’t turned out to be Gandalf, I would have been genuinely surprised, as everything that had been set up suggested our cherished wizard all along.

As a devoted fan, it’s captivating to ponder over the revelation that the showrunners initially weren’t certain if The Stranger embodied Gandalf in the beginning. Yet, the fact they embarked on a journey of discovery mirroring The Stranger himself, allowing his true identity to unveil gradually rather than predetermining it, is nothing short of brilliant.

I’m really looking forward to watching how the wizard’s tale unfolds in Season 3 of “Rings of Power”. If you want to revisit this wizard’s journey from The Stranger to Gandalf, you can watch the prequel to “Lord of the Rings” on Amazon Prime by subscribing to their service.

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2024-12-01 16:07