MOVIE NEWS – Following the season 1 finale, Sauron’s actor Charlie Vickers talks what’s next for the villainous character in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 and beyond.

WARNING: Major spoilers follow here for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 finale.

2022 became the year that J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings universe returned to the big screen, only this time in the form of a TV series on Amazon Prime. Set in the second era, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1 explored the franchise’s early days, primarily from Galadriel’s perspective.

One of the big promises in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1 was the reveal of the Lord Sauron, who served as the series’s main antagonist. Throughout the season, the fantasy series has dropped a few hints as to which character Sauron really is. In The Lord of the Rings: The Rings, Episode 8, “Alloyed,” the Amazon Prime drama confirmed that Halbrand, played by Vickers, is the iconic bad guy as he has been duping Galadriel the entire time.

Although Sauron escaped, the journey has only just begun as his reign of terror continues in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2. In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Vickers discussed the implications of Halbrand being Sauron and the next steps in his master plan. The 29-year-old star says The Lord of the Rings Season 2 will explore Sauron’s “repentance phase,” whether it’s real or not. Although the showrunners have yet to reveal the full details to Vickers, he is excited to see how Sauron may take on a new form in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2, sharing:

“Absolutely. We know that Sauron takes on different forms in this era. All I can say to that is maybe. Maybe we’ll do those things. But I’m incredibly excited to discover how he does these things that we know , how he does it. He has to make a bunch of rings, and he goes to Númenor, orchestrating Númenor’s downfall. Then he has to assume another form and fight in the Last Alliance battle. The battle at the end of the Second Age.”

[But] the showrunners have a very specific plan, and I don’t know their plans for how it will unfold, but I loved playing him in that penance phase. Whether the repentance is sincere or not is open to interpretation. But it will be cool that it is somehow there now. And it’s like I’m back. I’ve been procrastinating for a long time. I came back very slowly. And now, thanks to Galadriel, I am back. And I’m excited to play.”

What can we expect from Sauron in The Rings of Power Season 2?

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 finale was rather ambiguous when we saw the last image of Sauron. In the final few seconds, Sauron returns to Mordor and now reigns as its king, with the greater goal of ruling all of Middle-earth. One of Sauron’s expectations is that the other characters are still processing Halbrand’s betrayal, which is why they forged the three elf rings of power. With Vickers’ character coming out of the shadows in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2, we’re sure to see the arch-villain begin to expand his powers, knowing that Galadriel is coming for Sauron.

While The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 has just begun filming, it will likely be quite some time before the creative team and Amazon Prime reveal any specifics about Sauron’s story. However, since the creative team has already mapped out the 5-season plan for Amazon’s TV series, at least we have things in place for Sauron’s full arc as they progress through the series. Since this is the first time a live-action Lord of the Rings series has introduced Sauron in depth, it will be interesting to see how far they go with the evil foe. Hopefully, despite the wait, the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 is expected to be long, and more details about Sauron’s next chapter will be revealed sooner rather than later.

Source: Screenrant