In the first season of The Rings of Power, Adar was introduced as the leader of the Orcs operating in the Southlands, and is responsible for the death and destruction that force humans out of the Southlands, as well as the eventual creation of Mordor. We also learn Adar was one of the first Elves to be corrupted by Morgoth, and that he actually attempted to kill Sauron in the First Age. He wanted to free the Orcs from their servitude of Morgoth and Sauron and create a new land that they could leave in freely. But when Sauron is finally revealed at the end of the season, we know Adar has failed. The Rings of Power won’t be Hazeldine’s first time acting in a fantasy series, as the actor appeared in season 2 of The Witcher, and has also had roles in Peaky Blinders and Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel. “I loved my time exploring middle earth and diving into Tolkien’s mythology,” wrote Mawle. “I’m so honored that the character was liked. He cared deeply about telling you his story. Though as an actor it remains my wish, my job description to explore new characters and worlds. Wishing all the best to cast and crew for S2, I’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines.” Based on his tweets, it seems that, while he enjoyed his time as Adar and working with everyone else on the series, he wanted the freedom to explore other projects. Season 1 took 18 months to film, and production on season 2 likely won’t move much faster, so it’s a big time commitment for a performer. While we don’t yet know who these actors will be playing (is one of the Círdan?), or what area of Middle-earth their characters will hail from, it will be interesting to see how these characters factor into the story when The Rings of Power returns.
