One of the major actors from The Lord of the Ring: The Rings of Power will not return in season two of the show. Nazanin Boniadi, who played Bronwyn in The Rings of Power, will not appear in the upcoming new episodes of The Lord of the Rings series, which is slated to return in August. The Hollywood Reporter noted, “Nazanin Boniadi, who played Bronwyn in the Prime Video show’s first season, won’t be in the upcoming episodes, a source close to the show exclusively confirmed.” Boniadi herself then confirmed on Instagram that Bronwyn would not return in season two of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Boniadi did not share her reasons for leaving The Rings of Power, but did note a deep connection with her character.
Nazanin Boniadi’s Bronwyn was a human character on The Rings of Power. Boniadi played a healer engaged in a romance with the noble elf Arondir, who grew into her power as the show progressed. When we last saw Boniadi’s Bronwyn on The Rings of Power, she had become the leader of her people, the Southlanders, and was set to lead them to safety in Pelargir after the explosion of Mount Doom. In Boniadi’s own words, Bronwyn is a character committed to honesty, empathy, and integrity—one who strove for a fairer world.
Currently, we have no confirmation on whether Bronwyn was recast for season two of The Rings of Power or whether the door for Boniadi’s return despite her season two absence. The Hollywood Reporter notes that the actress stepped away from acting in 2022 to focus on her activism work. In May, Boniadi shared, “I stepped away from acting in September 2022, to focus solely on the #WomanLifeFreedom uprising in Iran and to advocate for the people of my homeland who have been risking everything for freedom. Despite my passion for acting, I knew it would take a very special project to convince me to once again split my time between my day job and my calling as an activist. A Mosquito in the Ear is that project … a beautiful adventure that we can’t wait to share with you.”
However, Nazanin Boniadi notes in her most recent Instagram post, “I made the choice not to return for season two of ‘Rings of Power.’ This was unrelated to my subsequent decision to prioritize my advocacy.”
We’d be sad if Nazanin Boniadi and Bronwyn never return to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, but regardless of whether more awaits, we’ll always enjoy Boniadi’s turn as Bronwyn in season one.
Originally published on May 31, 2024.