The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power debuted its first teaser during the Super Bowl on Sunday evening. We’ve seen vague character posters (so many hands) and first look images so far. However, this teaser is really our first journey into the Amazon Studios’ series set during Middle-earth’s Second Age. The Rings of Power has a lot to live up to between Peter Jackson’s beloved The Lord of the Rings film trilogy that defined the look of Middle-earth for many fans and the reported $400 million plus Amazon spent on the first season. After watching The Rings of Power‘s first teaser we’re happy to say that we still feel optimistic about the series.
Though brief, the teaser takes a kind of tour of Middle-earth in the Second Age. It seems to go out of its way to show a variety of creatures, denizens of the world, and characters. Morfydd Clark’s Galadriel looks as fierce as the first image of her character promised. We see the new-for-the-show character, Halbrand (Charles Vickers), alongside whom Galadriel will fight for survival. Then we have a couple shots of Robert Aramayo’s Elrond and a sweeping view of what looks like the elven kingdom of Lindon. Owain Arthur’s Prince Durin IV appears, as does Ismael Cruz Córdova’s Arondir and Sophia Nomvete’s Princess Disa. The latter two are also new characters for The Rings of Power.
New faces and creatures show up alongside the vast vistas that show yes, this take on Middle-earth is also grand.
And while the Second Age begins in a time of peace, it doesn’t stay that way. The Rings of Power teaser shows brief peeks at battles and conflict. Vanity Fair reported The Rings of Power has 22 stars and multiple story lines, so the plot does have a tiny bit going on. Showrunners Patrick McKay and JD Payne are condensing things, too, by compressing time. Events that take place over thousands of years in Tolkien’s Middle-earth histories happen at once in a single point in time. That’s all to say, we’re not surprised to see some serious action. In fact, we hope to.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres on Prime Video on September 2, 2022.
Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of A Kid’s Guide to Fandom, available now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
