Adar, the mysterious Orc leader in Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, will be played by a new actor when season 2 finally comes around. This news comes along with the announcement of several new cast members for the upcoming season, but the recasting is a bit of a surprise.
A number of new faces have joined the ambitious series for its next batch of episodes, further expanding the cast of the already wide-reaching adventure. While season 1 of The Rings of Power featured some incredible moments, some will reasonably argue that it was still lacking in a number of areas. Perhaps this new group of actors and actresses will help alleviate those concerns. They've certainly got the experience to back them up.
A new press release from Amazon Studios lists the new cast members who will be seen in season 2 of The Rings of Power, including the new face of Adar. The Orc commander, who was previously played by Game of Thrones actor Joseph Mawle, will now be portrayed by The Last Duel's Sam Hazeldine. As for the rest of the newcomers, the list includes Gabriel Akuwudike (1917), Yasen ‘Zates’ Atour (Netflix's The Witcher), Ben Daniels (House of Cards), stage actress Amelia Kenworthy (making her television debut in The Rings of Power), Nia Towle (Persuasion), and Nicholas Woodeson (Paddington 2). It's currently unknown who these new additions will be playing.
It's unclear what caused the recasting for Adar, especially given how well-received Mawle's performance in the role was. Fans immediately gravitated towards the complicated character, even speculating whether he would join forces with Sauron going forward. But even beyond that, the actor very much looked the part and carried a unique look whose absence will certainly be noticed when season 2 arrives. Hopefully the split was on good terms.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 saw Adar as an Orc unlike any seen before, bearing some striking features that made him look more like a typical Elf than his generally more twisted-looking brethren. As he led the Orcs in a quest to seemingly find a new home for themselves, it basically forced audiences to reconsider their previous perceptions of the apparently "evil" race of creatures. That's the sort of nuanced storytelling that kept viewers coming back for more, and losing Mawle as Adar brings into question how that trend will continue going forward.
On the other hand, Hazeldine has already more than proven himself as an incredible actor in his own right, appearing in such shows as Peaky Blinders and The Sandman and even Masters of the Air, the upcoming AppleTV+ sequel miniseries to Band of Brothers. So at the very least, audiences can expect some more excellent performances in the future.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 is available to stream in full on Prime Video.
Source: Amazon Studios