Amazon’s Lord of the Rings show may dramatically change a fan-favorite hero
The Second Age of Middle-earth could offer a fresh take on a familiar figure.
Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series is shaping up to be a very interesting adaptation of Tolkien’s novels. Unlike Peter Jackson’s films, the new Amazon series will take place during the Second Age of Middle-earth, which means there won’t be many similarities between the two adaptations. In fact, there won’t even be that many characters from the Lord of the Rings trilogy appearing in the series.
One character featured in Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films is expected to play a role in the live-action series though — and they could be a major force in the show’s overarching story.
A Familiar Friend — Amazon has held off on releasing many details about its Lord of the Rings series, including the identities of many of its characters. However, early casting reports from the show said that actress Morfydd Clark would be playing a young Galadriel in the series — the same character played by Cate Blanchett in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films.
The news didn’t come as much of a surprise to die-hard Lord of the Rings fans, many of whom had been speculating that at least some of the Elven characters from the films would be present in the prequel series, since some had already been in Middle-earth for several thousand years prior to Frodo’s journey in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
But what will Galadriel’s role be in the show?
Cate Blanchett in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
As Wise As Ever — It’s still unclear exactly when in the Second Age Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series will take place, and since Galadriel was in Middle-earth for the entirety of that period, it’s possible she could be doing a number of different things in the series. However, many Lord of the Rings fans think the series will tell the story of the original forging of the Rings of Power.
That means the show will likely depict the period of time when Sauron was masquerading as Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, as he worked to corrupt the elves and successfully tricked some into forging the Rings. If so, then it’s clear what role Galadriel might serve in the series... because Galadriel was one of the few Elves who didn’t trust Annatar and was never seduced by his tricks.
In fact, when it was revealed that Annatar was actually Sauron, Galadriel was instrumental in keeping him from regaining the 3 Rings of Power that were given to the Elves. Not only did she provide key counsel in the hiding of the 3 Rings, but she was also given one to protect on her own. Galadriel kept her Ring, Nenya, hidden from Sauron during his war against the Elves, and only used its powers after Sauron was defeated by Isildur to protect her realm from evil.
Cate Blanchett in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
The Inverse Analysis — If Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series really is going to focus on the initial forging of the Rings of Power (and the various conflicts that followed), it would make a lot of sense for the series to feature Galadriel pretty prominently. She’s one of the few characters that’s seemingly always been able to see through Sauron’s plans and tricks, and getting to see her actively coordinate and act against Sauron and his forces would no doubt be a gift for Lord of the Rings fans everywhere.
Galadriel’s already generally regarded amongst both book and movie fans to be one of the wisest beings in Middle-earth, and there’s the potential for the Lord of the Rings prequel series to only further reinforce that belief.
