watching the SDCC26 Rings of Power Panel and here are some notes I'm taking from what they're saying:
We will be seeing Rivendell, still in its early stages so maybe not totally finished yet.
We will be seeing the inside of Barad Dur (Sauron's tower that later will have his big eye over it)
It sounds like Arondir and Galadriel have been travelling together looking for some "solution" for the past five years. So this isn't a new quest and they're both very tired. Especially Arondir is still carrying all his grief over Bronwyn. Ismael Cruz Cordova refers to it as a "covert mission" and Galadriel asked Arondir to join her.
Ganadalf has been learning with Tom Bombadil for the past five years aswell. He is 'looking for people who's hearts have been chilled' and is trying to 'rewarm them' (theory: maybe he tries to lead the Dark Wizard back to goodness? seems like theyre chatting in the teaser idk)
Pharazon and Miriel are cousins in the tRoP universe.
Miriel is in exiles with the faithful in the "West" (not totally sure what this means, I don't think it means on ME because that's actually East of Numenor, I think she likely means a more western coast of Numenor.) She is building a resistance against Pharazon along with 'helpers' we will 'recognize' (definitely Isildur but maybe some others?)
many dwarf lords come to Khazad Dum to damand the dwarf rings from Durin, but Durin had hidden them. Theres 'a lot of tears, a lot of fighting.' Thrain is there for the ring but Durin wants to believe in him because he's the only family he has left :( Owain Arthur says "it's kind of like a soap opera"
the forging of the one ring is going to be "absolutely unhinged"
there is almost a 15 minutes silent sequence of Sauron fighting to survive inside the volcano as he forges the ring.
Celeborn has been "in the equivalent of sadistic alcatraz for a thousand years" and the hope for his reunion with Galadriel "has been keeping him alive"
We will get some Celeborn fight scenes as Ben Walker says Celeborn "is a lover and a fighter" and JD Payne says he "looks awesome doing both"
Marnuk "claims" to "want to help the elves defeat the Dark Lord," and his conflicted dynamic with Arondir and Galadriel will be source of a lot of "entertainment" and according to Ismael we are going to fall in love with him lol.
There will be new characters in Numenor (seeming to refer to Anarion but maybe some others too!)
Pharazon is really fixated on Sauron (a man-crush as Cynthia Addai-Robinson calls it lol)
Durin and Disa's kids are now teenagers and will be actual characters involved in the family drama. "Disa and Durin's marriage is tested"
The Naznagnol are searching for the three elf rings because Sauron is struggling to make the one rings and wants to try to reverse engineer how the elf rings were made
Balrog will have speaking lines, its an intelligent being not a mindless monster. "every season" they will "show a different side of him" He will have a scene with Sauron---related to Sauron needing to know how to survive in the fire of the volcano. Sauron will have to lock in for this interaction because this will be the first time we see him engaging with another maiar, a being at the same power level as him rather than below him.
We see the early stages of the Fell Beast, who were eagles tortured by Morgoth (according to Sauron)
Gandalf rides the Mumakil.
Watch the panel for yourself here:
What do you think of the teaser and the info shared at SDCC?
vaporwave
tangentwithtanner
gummygunk
blakekathryn
