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Why Joseph Mawle Left The Rings Of Power
Who Is Sam Hazeldine?
What Will Adar's Story Be In The Rings Of Power Season 2?
Summary
- Joseph Mawle, who played Adar in the first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will not return in the upcoming second season.
- Joseph Mawle left the series to pursue other stories, with Sam Hazeldine taking over the role of Adar for future seasons.
- The upcoming season of The Rings of Power may explore Adar's origin story, his history with Sauron, and his inevitable demise as Middle-earth descends into darkness.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 officially premieres on Prime Video on August 29. The epic fantasy series based on J.R.R. Tolkien's iconic world delves deeper into the events of the Second Age, including the return of Sauron and the crafting of the Rings of Power. Season 1, while controversial among fans of Tolkien and Peter Jackson's original film series, was a massive viewership success, making Rings of Power one of the biggest new series in recent years. Now, Season 2 aims to raise the stakes, as Middle-earth descends into chaos following the revelation that the supposed king of the Southlands, Halbrand, is actually the dark lord Sauron.
Season 2 of The Rings of Power will pick up several lingering plotlines from the first season, including the horrific transformation of the Southlands into the fiery wasteland of Mordor. Leading the charge of Orcs who wish to claim Mordor as their homeland is Adar, a corrupted Elf who became one of the first Uruk. While Adar is confirmed to return as a villain in the upcoming season, audiences will notice something different about the character. While Joseph Mawle portrayed Adar in the first season of The Rings of Power, Season 2 instead features Sam Hazeldine in the role. This may surprise fans of the series, especially given Adar's role as one of the most significant villains therein. Why did Mawle leave the series and what does it mean for his character moving forward?
Why Joseph Mawle Left The Rings Of Power
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Cast & Character Guide | |
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Character | Actor |
Galadriel | Morfydd Clark |
Elanor "Nori" Brandyfoot | Markella Kavanagh |
Elrond | Robert Aramayo |
King Gil-galad | Benjamin Walker |
Arondir | Ismael Cruz Córdova |
Celebrimbor | Charles Edwards |
The Stranger | Daniel Weyman |
Durin IV | Owain Arthur |
Sauron | Charlie Vickers |
Elendil | Lloyd Own |
Queen Miriel | Cynthia Addai-Robinson |
Isildur | Maxim Baldry |
Adar | Sam Hazeldine |
Eärien | Ema Horvath |
read more
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Adar quickly established himself as one of the most interesting characters in The Rings of Power, breaking the mold of the typically one-note villains in The Lord of the Rings. Whereas antagonists like Sauron and Saruman are categorically evil, Adar is a surprisingly caring general to his Orc army, treating them almost as a father would his children. Joseph Mawle's soft-spoken portrayal added to Adar's nuance as a character, making it all the more surprising that the Game of Thrones actor will not be returning for Season 2. It would appear that Mawle decided to leave the series, with the actor taking to Twitter to explain his departure. In a post that shortly followed the announcement that he would not return for The Rings of Power's next season, Mawle asserted that he had enjoyed his time on the series, but felt that he needed to explore new characters and stories in his career. To ensure that there was no perceived animosity between himself and the series, the actor gave his heartfelt support to the cast and crew of The Rings of Power before signing off.
Mawle isn't the only actor from The Rings of Power's first season who won't be returning for future episodes. Nazanin Boniadi also left The Rings of Power ahead of its second season. Boniadi, who played Bronwyn in Season 1, has reportedly taken a step back from acting to pursue other aspects of her career. Unlike Mawle, Boniadi's character has not been recast for the upcoming season, with the series instead holding out hope for the actress's return at a later date. It may be that Adar was simply too important a character to write out of Season 2, forcing the showrunners to recast rather than wait for Mawle's schedule to clear up. As to his desire to pursue other stories and characters, Mawle appeared in several episodes of the Taylor Sheridan series 1923 and is set to star in the Biblical epic The Way of the Wind.
Who Is Sam Hazeldine?
Sam Hazeldine's Memorable Films/Series |
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Every Rings of Power Season 1 Episode, Ranked
The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power has proven to be a blockbuster TV adaptation, and its first season sets the tone with several great episodes.
Sam Hazeldine takes over as Adar in The Rings of Power Season 2, filling Joseph Mawle's shoes after his stellar performance in the original season. Audiences may recognize Hazeldine from several of his performances in recent years. The actor has often played small roles in major projects, including The Huntsman: Winter's War, The Hitman's Bodyguard, and The Last Duel. Hazeldine has also made guest appearances on numerous popular series, portraying Eredin in Netflix's The Witcher and Barnaby Farrell in The Sandman. More recently, the actor appeared in the Apple TV original series Masters of the Air as Lieutenant Colonel Albert "Bub" Clark. Now, Hazeldine will contribute his talents to the world of Middle-earth as he takes over the role of Adar, the leader of the Orcs.
What Will Adar's Story Be In The Rings Of Power Season 2?
The Lord of the Rings Franchise | ||||
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Movie | Year | IMDb | Streaming | |
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | 2001 | 8.9 | Max |
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | 2002 | 8.8 | ||
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | 2003 | 9.0 | ||
The Hobbit Trilogy | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | 2012 | 7.8 | |
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | 2013 | 7.8 | ||
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | 2014 | 7.4 | ||
Amazon Prime Video | The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power | 2022-Present | 6.9 | Prime Video |
Spinoff Films | The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim | 2024 | Upcoming | Max |
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum | 2026 | Upcoming |
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It is unclear precisely what form Adar's storyline will take in The Rings of Power Season 2. It seems likely that the series will take the time to explore more of Adar's origin story in upcoming episodes. Season 1 hinted at a history between the Uruk and Sauron, the latter of whom believes that Adar wronged him in some way. Season 2 may finally reveal what Adar did to anger Sauron. Moreover, audiences may finally learn how exactly the Orc leader became corrupted in the first place, giving a better insight into how Elves could become the brutish Orcs seen in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
As Sauron rises to take over Middle-earth, Adar may find himself in a difficult position, especially given his history with the dark lord. Season 2 may depict how Sauron takes control of the Orcs, which would almost certainly include Adar's death. The Orc leader's demise is inevitable, and the upcoming season of The Rings of Power can finally show what happens when someone crosses Sauron.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 may include a different actor as Adar, but the future still seems bright for the Prime Video series. With Sam Hazeldine taking over the role from Joseph Mawle, audiences can expect to see plenty more of Adar in the upcoming season as Middle-earth continues to descend into darkness.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
TV-14
Fantasy
Action
Adventure
Drama
Epic drama set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.
- Release Date
- September 1, 2022
- Cast
- Morfydd Clark , Ismael Cruz Cordova , Charlie Vickers , Markella Kavenagh , Megan Richards , Sara Zwangobani , Lenny Henry , Benjamin Walker
- Main Genre
- Fantasy
- Seasons
- 1
- Network
- Amazon Prime Video
- Streaming Service(s)
- Prime Video