The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 officially premieres on Prime Video on August 29. The epic fantasy series based on J.R.R. Tolkien's iconic world delves deeper into the events of the Second Age, including the return of Sauron and the crafting of the Rings of Power. Season 1, while controversial among fans of Tolkien and Peter Jackson's original film series, was a massive viewership success, making Rings of Power one of the biggest new series in recent years. Now, Season 2 aims to raise the stakes, as Middle-earth descends into chaos following the revelation that the supposed king of the Southlands, Halbrand, is actually the dark lord Sauron.

Season 2 of The Rings of Power will pick up several lingering plotlines from the first season, including the horrific transformation of the Southlands into the fiery wasteland of Mordor. Leading the charge of Orcs who wish to claim Mordor as their homeland is Adar, a corrupted Elf who became one of the first Uruk. While Adar is confirmed to return as a villain in the upcoming season, audiences will notice something different about the character. While Joseph Mawle portrayed Adar in the first season of The Rings of Power, Season 2 instead features Sam Hazeldine in the role. This may surprise fans of the series, especially given Adar's role as one of the most significant villains therein. Why did Mawle leave the series and what does it mean for his character moving forward?

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Cast & Character Guide

The Rings of Power Season 2 will bring back Shelob, the iconic villain from The Lord of the Rings, as Isildur fights for survival in Mordor.

Adar quickly established himself as one of the most interesting characters in The Rings of Power, breaking the mold of the typically one-note villains in The Lord of the Rings. Whereas antagonists like Sauron and Saruman are categorically evil, Adar is a surprisingly caring general to his Orc army, treating them almost as a father would his children. Joseph Mawle's soft-spoken portrayal added to Adar's nuance as a character, making it all the more surprising that the Game of Thrones actor will not be returning for Season 2. It would appear that Mawle decided to leave the series, with the actor taking to Twitter to explain his departure. In a post that shortly followed the announcement that he would not return for The Rings of Power's next season, Mawle asserted that he had enjoyed his time on the series, but felt that he needed to explore new characters and stories in his career. To ensure that there was no perceived animosity between himself and the series, the actor gave his heartfelt support to the cast and crew of The Rings of Power before signing off.

Mawle isn't the only actor from The Rings of Power's first season who won't be returning for future episodes. Nazanin Boniadi also left The Rings of Power ahead of its second season. Boniadi, who played Bronwyn in Season 1, has reportedly taken a step back from acting to pursue other aspects of her career. Unlike Mawle, Boniadi's character has not been recast for the upcoming season, with the series instead holding out hope for the actress's return at a later date. It may be that Adar was simply too important a character to write out of Season 2, forcing the showrunners to recast rather than wait for Mawle's schedule to clear up. As to his desire to pursue other stories and characters, Mawle appeared in several episodes of the Taylor Sheridan series 1923 and is set to star in the Biblical epic The Way of the Wind.

Sam Hazeldine's Memorable Films/Series

Sam Hazeldine takes over as Adar in The Rings of Power Season 2, filling Joseph Mawle's shoes after his stellar performance in the original season. Audiences may recognize Hazeldine from several of his performances in recent years. The actor has often played small roles in major projects, including The Huntsman: Winter's War, The Hitman's Bodyguard, and The Last Duel.

Hazeldine has also made guest appearances on numerous popular series, portraying Eredin in Netflix's The Witcher and Barnaby Farrell in The Sandman. More recently, the actor appeared in the Apple TV original series Masters of the Air as Lieutenant Colonel Albert "Bub" Clark. Now, Hazeldine will contribute his talents to the world of Middle-earth as he takes over the role of Adar, the leader of the Orcs.

The Lord of the Rings Franchise

Tom Bombadil, a beloved character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series, will be making his live-action debut in Rings of Power Season 2. 

It is unclear precisely what form Adar's storyline will take in The Rings of Power Season 2. It seems likely that the series will take the time to explore more of Adar's origin story in upcoming episodes. Season 1 hinted at a history between the Uruk and Sauron, the latter of whom believes that Adar wronged him in some way. Season 2 may finally reveal what Adar did to anger Sauron. Moreover, audiences may finally learn how exactly the Orc leader became corrupted in the first place, giving a better insight into how Elves could become the brutish Orcs seen in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

As Sauron rises to take over Middle-earth, Adar may find himself in a difficult position, especially given his history with the dark lord. Season 2 may depict how Sauron takes control of the Orcs, which would almost certainly include Adar's death. The Orc leader's demise is inevitable, and the upcoming season of The Rings of Power can finally show what happens when someone crosses Sauron.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 may include a different actor as Adar, but the future still seems bright for the Prime Video series. With Sam Hazeldine taking over the role from Joseph Mawle, audiences can expect to see plenty more of Adar in the upcoming season as Middle-earth continues to descend into darkness.