To be honest, I wasn’t going to continue writing about what might happen in Mordor in The Lord of the Rings Season 2. Eregion would be an easier and probably more interesting subject of speculation. Or Lyndon. Because the references to Mordor in the series itself were too vague.
Let’s face it, we didn’t see much of Sauron’s front yard, other than the fire-breathing Mount Doom and the ominously red-tinged dust. And too much vague information from Tolkien’s Canon and Legendarium, for not much more is recorded, at least at the time of Mordor’s origin, around the year 1000 of the Second Age, than that Sauron claimed a tract of land surrounded by protective mountains and began to shape the region for his evil purposes.
Mordor is Sauron’s base, his retreat. Several geographical features are known, such as the fortress of Barad-dur and the volcano of Mount Doom, also called Orodruin, which seems so powerful mainly because it stands alone on a wide plain. There are several other strategically important forts and structures, but in most cases they will not be built until Gondor’s heyday. So there really isn’t much more to Mordor than what we consider an extremely unfriendly environment.
Say: As far as speculation goes, I should focus more on the two characters I think would star in Mordor. On the one hand, of course, it’s Halbrand, aka Sauron, on the other hand, it’s his orc inner adversary, Adar. Just… I have to share some sobering news that has been floating around for the past few days.
Theo and Galadriel in the pool of Mordor after the Orodruin outbreak. Both are unlikely to return there.
Who: Amazon Studios.
What will happen to Adar?
Adar actor Joseph Mawle in 2022 December 1 wrote on Twitter that he is excited to explore the Middle-earth universe and contribute to it with his character. However, he will not be returning for Season 2 of Rings of Power. Phew.
Reading this shattered all my ideas about Mordor having anything interesting in season 2 other than Sauron’s business games and ringsmithing. I was really looking forward to the confrontation between Adar, who sees himself as Sauron’s slayer, and Sauron, who must try to win Adar’s followers over to his side. But at least the human followers of the Dark Elf have already indicated that they care about the Dark Lord himself and not some random minion.
Adara, like many of the newly created characters, was conceived by the Rings of Power showrunners and offered a lot of potential, especially as a dark elf. However, Joseph Mawle will not be returning for Season 2.
Who: Amazon Studios.
Yes, but now? Joseph Mawle apparently won’t be reprising the role the showrunners came up with. Does this mean the character Adar won’t be making any more appearances – or does it mean Mawle will be replaced? I have absolutely no idea, but I think it would be very brave to cast a new face in the role of one of the million dollar show’s antagonists now. Mawle did a good job adding so much mystery to Adar that I would have loved to know more about him. To me, there is only one Adar, and so the only logical conclusion is that Adar will no longer play a role in the Rings of Power series. It’s a waste of my potential.
