Prime Video's flagship fantasy show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power debuted a new trailer today, and right from its ominous first shots it's clear that this season will be darker, more dangerous, and more epic than anything that's come before. Sauron (Charlie Vickers) is waging war across Middle-earth, and he's got the Elves and Dwarves on the ropes. If they're to have any hope of survival, they'll need some new allies to enter into the mix and turn the tide.
One character certain to make a difference who has been waiting in the wings for practially all of the show's run so far is the Stranger, played by Daniel Weyman. This tall, mysterious, bearded magic-wielder fell from the sky right at the start of the show, but amnesia prevented him from remembering anything about his life before. Season 1 tried to make us think he was Sauron; season 2 finally implied the thing we had really thought all along: that he's Gandalf, the wizard who will one day befriend both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. Yet even then, there was room for a little ambiguity.
Fortunately, this new trailer puts the final nail in the coffin for the mystery, and confirms the Stranger's identity once and for all.
The Stranger is Gandalf in The Rings of Power
After saving the Stoor village from an attack by the Dark Wizard (Ciarán Hinds), the Stranger is called "Grand Elf" by the Stoors, on account of the fact that he is unnaturally tall by Harfoot standards and they've never even seen an Elf before. In a following scene, the Stranger returns to Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear), where they reflect on the idea that a wizard's staff and a wizard's name are things that are found, not forced. "Gandalf," the Stranger says, "That's what they're going to call me, isn't it?"
Rather than answer, Tom Bombadil leads him in a song, which is about as on brand for Tom Bombadil as it gets. This seemed to confirm that the Stranger was Gandalf. However, the show stopped short of using his iconic name in the credits for the series, which continued to name Weyman's role as "the Stranger."
In season 3 at last, that has changed. This trailer marks the first time he's openly called "Gandalf" by another character, Hinds' unnamed Dark Wizard. More, the official cast list for the series from Prime Video has at last changed the character Weyman is playing from "The Stranger" to "Gandalf," laying any ambiguity firmly to rest.
While The Rings of Power has had plenty of mysteries throughout its run, the identity of the Stranger has been one of the silliest. It was all but a foregone conclusion that Gandalf was the Stranger's true identity, but the show insisted on making viewers think they should question the obvious for two whole seasons. The season 2 finale seemed to provide the answer, and season 3 has finally made it crystal clear that the show wants us to understand Weyman's wizard is the early incarnation of Gandalf the Grey, one of the most iconic characters in all of fantasy. It's about time.
We'll get to see Gandalf in action when The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power returns for its third season on November 11.
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