Summary

• Ciarán Hinds plays a chararacter known only as Dark Wizard in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2.
• Hinds will be best known to many for playing Mance Rayder in Game of Thrones.
• Wizards and magic are set to play an important role in The Rings of Power season 2 as the Dark Wizard will seemingly be attempting to destroy The Stranger or recruit him.

Game of Thrones actor Ciarán Hinds becomes a Dark Wizard in a new image from The Rings of Power season 2 is set to feature the return of Morfydd Clark as Galadriel and Charlie Vickers as Sauron, and a handful of new actors are also set to the mix, including Hinds in a previously unknown role.

Deadline now shares a new image from The Rings of Power season 2, unveiling Hinds, who played Mance Rayder on Game of Thrones, as a new character known as the Dark Wizard. Check out the image below:

Hinds' character is described as “A dark and powerful wizard, whose origins and intentions are shrouded in secrecy, and who has a legion of magic-wielding acolytes who obey his every command — among them the three travelers who sought out the Stranger at the end of Season 1… on the Dark Wizard’s orders.”

Wizards Will Play A Big Role In The Rings Of Power Season 2

What's Next For The Stranger

Introduced in the season 1 premiere, Daniel Weyman's The Stranger has long remained a mysterious character. After it became clear that he is a wizard, it was widely theorized that The Stranger is Gandalf, and a line in The Rings of Power's season 1 finale strongly hints that this is the case. The Stranger is set to play an even larger role in season 2, and trailers have already teased that his storyline will see the show exploring entirely new regions of Middle-earth.

In the season 1 finale, The Stranger makes reference to "following your nose," a line that Gandalf said in The Lord of the Rings.

In season 2, The Stranger travels to Rhûn, a desert far in the East of Middle-earth, in order to uncover his true purpose. Trailers see him forced to use his powers against someone or something, suggesting that the Dark Wizard and his forces will continue to pursue Weyman's character. In season 1, three evil beings known as the Dweller, the Nomad, and the Ascetic seek The Stranger out, claiming that he is Sauron.

While these three beings were wrong, of course, as Halbrand ends up being Sauron, Weyman's character evidently remains a person of interest and someone that the Dark Wizard will either want to get on side or destroy. If The Stranger is indeed Gandalf, then it's entirely possible that The Rings of Power season 2 will introduce Saruman as well. In any case, the hit Prime Video show's sophomore outing certainly looks like it will be featuring lots more magic of both the dark and the light varieties.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 premieres on Prime Video on August 29.

Source: Deadline