The prequel series, The Rings of Power (2022- ), to the film franchise, The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003), returns for its third season. According to Screenrant, they have confirmed replacement on characters from the original films, including Samwise Gamgee, Frodo Baggins, and Gollum.

The three characters were originally played in the films by Elijah Wood (Yellowjackets, Happy Feet), Sean Astin (Rudy, Stranger Things), and Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Black Panther).

The streaming service had gone into Tolkien lore for the series, bringing familiar characters like Sauron, originally played by Sala Baker (Dangerous Water, The Last Thing He Told Me) and voiced by Alan Howard (Parade’s End, Foyle’s War), Galadriel, originally played by Cate Blanchett (Carol, Tár), Elrond, played originally by Hugo Weaving (Slow Horses, Dalliance) and Gandalf, originally played by Ian McKellen (X-Men, The Christophers). The cast replace the original actors with younger versions of the characters. Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud, His Dark Materials) plays Galadriel, Robert Aramayo (I Swear, Behind Her Eyes) plays Elrond, Charlie Vickers (Medici, The Survivors) plays Sauron, and Daniel Weyman (Foyle’s War, Gentleman Jack) plays Gandalf. Co-showrunner Patrick McKay (Star Trek Beyond, Escape) goes into detail of the dynamic similarities between Galadriel, Arondir, played by Ismael Cruz Córdova (Berlin Station, Ray Donovan), and Marnûkh, played by Adam Young (Masters of the Air, Supergirl), in the upcoming season with the original traveling trio.

McKay said: “It’s a little bit like Frodo, Sam and Gollum. Galadriel had this very grudging respect that developed between her and Adar, so she’s maybe a little more willing to maybe believe there’s something to what Marnûkh is saying.”

This part to the prequel dynamic captures the uncertainty to who to trust in their group as they make their journey in the season. It also is a buildup to how Sauron will take control of the Orcs with the One Ring for the films. Like Sam not trusting Gollum in his intentions to help Frodo destroy the ring over his vendetta to keep it, Galadriel and Arondir also question Marnûkh’s motives to help them from his Orc background. It brings the reality on who is friend or who is foe to this new character.