San Diego Comic-Con has come and gone, and in its wake lays a veritable tsunami of new info regarding fan-favorite and hotly-anticipated franchises of all kinds. Perhaps one of the biggest standouts at the Con as well as in general is the upcoming Lord of the Rings series The Rings of Power, giving hope to fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's work that they may yet see their first widely-praised adaptation since Peter Jackson's original beloved film trilogy.
Amazon Prime's The Rings of Power has been offering a slow drip of previews and teasers for fans recently, and it's certainly been enough to whet the appetites of diehards all around. However, while the action is one big aspect of what draws audiences to Middle-Earth, it's the characters that inevitably inspire them to keep coming back. So it's definitely worth knowing what sorts of new and returning personalities will be waiting when the Lord of the Rings series finally premieres, and the show's stars themselves have some tidbits to offer in that regard.
Speaking with Collider's Perri Nemiroff at SDCC, several cast members answered some burning questions regarding their characters and the lore leading up to The Rings of Power, and it's some enlightening stuff. Markella Kavenagh's Elanor "Nori" Brandyfoot is a Harfoot, one of the several varieties of hobbits. Her people's innate curiosity shines through with the character of Nori, and that's something audiences will likely pick up on. "I think she has an innate curiosity, that's for sure. And I think I really wanted to make sure that it didn't come across as something that was purely out of just selfish interest in the unknown, that she's very aware she's had to bear this responsibility," Kavenagh explained. "She leads with the idea that a fear of risk can be greater than the risk itself. And she's just constantly pushing that, but sometimes it gets people into a bit of danger but it's with the best of intentions."
Another character at the forefront is Charlie Vickers as Halbrand, a Man who finds his own story connected to that of Elven leader Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) thanks to an unexpected encounter. "There's a chance had he not met her that his life might have not gone on? And I think that that's interesting," Vickers said. "I think that their fates crossing paths opens up this whole world for Hal and makes him question so many things in his past, and then it also makes him reassess the kind of man he might be in the future." Meanwhile, Sophia Nomvete spoke about her character, the Dwarven princess Disa, and her relationship with her husband, Prince Durin (Owain Arthur). "Disa knows exactly what it is that she wants, and that she thinks is right for her and her husband and her kingdom," Nomvete said. "Durin has so much to contend with, with his father Elrond, and our relationship. So that's a little bit of to and fro for him."
Things aren't quite so courteous between Elves and Men in general, however, as Tyroe Muhafidin detailed when discussing his character, a Man named Theo. "Obviously, the history between the humans and the elves you know, 1000s of years prior, Theo's ancestors sided with Morgoth and fought against the elves, and so in punishment for their doing that they got banished and had to restart in almost the slums of the Southlands," Muhafidin explained. "I think the whole village thinks that it's time to move past it and move forward, but the Elves just won't forget. So there's a lot of tension in there."
It's a surprising amount of background for these characters packed into such a short interview, and it's not even all they have to offer. It's clear that the people behind The Rings of Power have put incredible time and effort into creating this new dimension of Tolkien's already robust world, and that makes the prospect of seeing this new angle of Middle-Earth all the more enticing.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will premiere on September 2nd, 2022, on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Collider Interviews/YouTube