The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power has plenty of great villains, but one baddie won’t be returning for Season 2, according to a statement from the star.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been one of the biggest shows of 2022, partly due to its use of villains. There was the reveal of Sauron, the many orcs, and many other mysterious evil figures.
One of these mysterious was the villain Adar, who led the orcs on a battle across the human lands. He was played by Joseph Mawle, and while he wasn’t Sauron as some had assumed, he still managed to be a compelling and intimidating villain.
However, it seems like Joseph Mawle will only be appearing in Season 1, as he won’t be returning for the show’s second season – but what does that mean for Adar?
Adar actor Joseph Mawle departs Rings of Power
Yesterday, actor Joseph Mawle took to his Twitter to explain that due to the demands of his job, he was departing the Rings of Power series.
Best to cast and crew for S2, I’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines X
— Joseph Mawle (@realjosephmawle) December 1, 2022
He wrote: “I loved my time exploring middle earth and diving into Tolkien’s mythology. I’m so honored that the character was liked. He cared deeply about telling you his story.
“Though as an actor it remains my wish, my job description to explore new characters and worlds. Wishing all the best to cast and crew for S2, I’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines.”
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While fans were mostly supportive in the comments of his tweets, it’s valid to wonder what this will mean for the future of the show.
What will this mean for Adar in Rings of Power Season 2?
Now, it’s currently unclear how Mawle’s departure will affect Adar and the plot of Rings of Power Season 2. Furthermore, the show has yet to make an official statement, so if Mawle’s decision was affected by the series’ plot or anything behind the scenes, we have yet to know.
He could very well be recast, but considering that Adar was an original character, not one born from The Silmarillion, the book that this series is based on, the showrunners don’t have to continue Adar’s character if they don’t wish to.
But that would be a shame, as Adar clearly has more to him than what we’ve seen so far. Considering his relationship with the orcs – Adar is an elvish word, meaning something akin to “father”, and he seems to be the father of the orcs – and his apparent resentment towards Sauron, there was obviously a lot of room for Adar in the future of the show.
Either way, Mawle’s departure will obviously have an effect on the show, and fans can only hope that this change won’t be for the worse.
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1 is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
