The Rings of Power: Why Gandalf (Probably) Isn't in the Lord of the Rings Prequel Series
A wizard arrives precisely when he means to, and it's not during the Second Age.
The first teaser trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is already inviting a huge amount of fan speculation. And perhaps no shot in that teaser is more fascinating and perplexing than the one showing a Harfoot locked arm-in-arm with a mysterious, burning man. Who is this character, and what's with all the fire?
A number of fans are even wondering if this could be a young Gandalf. After all, if the series is giving us younger versions of LotR icons like Galadriel and Elrond, why not everyone's favorite wandering wizard? Unfortunately, we're here to explain why Gandalf probably won't be showing up in The Rings of Power. Let's crack open some fictional history books.
Gandalf in The Rings of Power: The Theory
The idea behind this Young Gandalf theory seems to be this - the trailer scene in question is showing Gandalf having just crashed down from the heavens into Middle-earth. No sooner does he land than he's greeted by a Harfoot character.
Based on what author J.R.R. Tolkien wrote in his various Lord of the Rings appendices and certain posthumous releases, we know Gandalf, Saruman and their fellow wizards are beings called Maiar, immortal beings in service to the Valar (basically the angels of this universe). Gandalf and his kind have existed in one form or another since before the dawn of recorded history, but he only takes mortal form after being sent to Middle-earth to confront the threat of Sauron. Speaking of which, Sauron himself is also one of the Maiar, though he's become twisted and malformed thanks to his insatiable lust for power.
Assuming this scene is showing a young Gandalf crash-landing in Middle-earth, it does open up some interesting storytelling possibilities. We could see the early beginnings of his quest to rally Middle-earth against Sauron, a life's work that takes several thousand years to complete. Gandalf's storyline could borrow a page from the Archangel Tyrael in Diablo III, who crash-lands in the mortal realm only to be stricken with amnesia and forget his urgent quest.
We could see Gandalf collaborate with Saruman, who has yet to be corrupted by Sauron's influence, and maybe even meet Alatar and Pallando, the two Blue Wizards who are barely even mentioned across all of Tolkien's writings. There's also some rich potential in the idea that Gandalf's first encounter with a mortal is a Harfoot - an ancient ancestor of Hobbits. Could the series give us new insight into why Gandalf is so fond of these humble, sheltered Halflings?
It's an intriguing theory. Unfortunately, it's not one that's actually supported by the timeline of events in Middle-earth.
The Timeline of The Rings of Power
There's a lot we don't know about The Rings of Power at this point, but we do know one important detail. The series is set during the Second Age of Middle-earth. That alone would seem to rule out any possibility of Gandalf appearing in The Rings of Power.
The timeline established by Tolkien divides Middle-earth's history into four distinct Ages. The First Age features the creation of the fantasy realm of Arda and the original war between the Valar and the original Dark Lord, Melkor (later renamed Morgoth). The Second Age unfolds after Morgoth is banished from this plane, and it culminates with the war between Morgoth's successor Sauron and the Last Alliance of men and elves (as seen in the opening flashback in The Fellowship of the Ring). The Third Age is what we see in the LotR and Hobbit movies, ending with Sauron's final destruction. The Fourth Age is what comes after, as the elves and other magical creatures retreat from the mortal realm and man becomes the dominant force in our world.
The series is set during the Second Age of Middle-earth. That alone would seem to rule out any possibility of Gandalf appearing in The Rings of Power.
According to this history, Gandalf and his fellow wizards don't appear in Middle-earth until the Third Age, well after the events being chronicled in The Rings of Power. The whole point of the wizards being sent to Middle-earth during this era is that the kingdoms of elves, men and dwarves no longer have the resolve or knowledge to battle a rejuvenated Sauron. Elves are fleeing the mortal world in droves. Dwarves are too busy mining for treasure. And mankind has never been the same since King Isildur's corruption and death. They need Gandalf and his kind to help resist the armies of Mordor.
Another problem with the Young Gandalf theory we're seeing is that Gandalf has never really been "young" in the first place. He and his fellow wizards simply appear as elderly men to better blend in with the inhabitants of Middle-earth.
That all being said, it's still not out of the question that the series might ignore the source material and introduce Gandalf and his kind far earlier than normal. Thanks to a recent Vanity Fair interview, we already know that the writers are compressing the Second Age timeline. Whereas events like the fall of Numenor and the Last Alliance's war against Sauron are separated by centuries in the books, in the show they'll unfold more or less concurrently. If The Rings of Power is already making significant changes to the established history of Middle-earth, it's not impossible we could see Gandalf added to the mix.
Will Rings of Power Introduce a New Wizard?
However, there's another possible explanation behind that mysterious scene in the teaser. We may be seeing a completely different wizard character crashing into Middle-earth.
The Rings of Power is shaping up to be a lot like HBO's Watchmen series in the sense that it's a direct extension of the original source material, but also one that remixes certain familiar archetypes. For example, the characters Arondir and Bronwyn are a new take on a familiar Middle-earth trope - an immortal elf and a mortal human locked in a doomed romance. And while we know very little about Charlie Vickers' character Halbrand, he certainly seems like the Aragorn figure in this saga - a human running from an important destiny.
Given that, it's entirely possible this figure wreathed in flames is a riff on Gandalf without actually being Gandalf himself. The series may establish that other Maiar were sent to Middle-earth long before the likes of Gandalf and Saruman. This character could be another new creation designed to fill that Gandalf-shaped hole in the series. The benefit of that approach is that we already know when and how Gandalf's story ends, whereas the writers have far fewer limitations when focusing on a brand new character.
Do you think we're seeing Gandalf in the teaser? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. And be sure to check out IGN's full breakdown of the Rings of Power teaser, as well as our deep dive into the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
