Galadriel likely to be shown in a different light in ‘Rings of Power’ season 2

After a wait of close to two years, fans of The Rings of Power will finally be able to lay their eyes on the second season of Prime Video’s marquee TV series on August 29, 2024.

Featuring an international cast, the series has retained some of the original characters from the Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Characters like Galadriel, Elrond, and Sauron have and will continue to play key roles in J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay’s show, with others emerging as key players in the tale over time, though they’re of course portrayed by different actors than they were in Peter Jackson’s movies.

One notable replacement steps into the shoes of the phenomenal Cate Blanchett, who portrayed the Elven warrior Galadriel in the film series. In the Amazon show, Welsh actress Morfydd Clark plays Galadriel, a central character thus far.

Clark has appeared in some exciting films in her career, including The Personal History of David Copperfield, Starve Acre, and Love Lies Bleeding director Rose Glass’s directorial debut, Saint Maud. In television, she starred alongside Benedict Cumberbatch for an episode in Patrick Melrose, with other appearances including His Dark Materials and Dracula. She is part of Aneil Karia’s upcoming adaptation of Hamlet, which also stars Riz Ahmed, Joe Alwyn, and Timothy Spall.

Back in 2022, Clark shared some exciting stories about how she got the part, revealing she wasn’t aware that she was auditioning for The Rings of Power at the time. She also divulged that she fainted after she had heard that she had nailed the role, with a security guard coming to her rescue in that moment of elation.

Unfortunately, the Welsh actress has copped a lot of online hate for her portrayal of young Galadriel. However, that could be traced down to the showrunners’ decision to depict the character in a polarizing light, as Galadriel befriending a human Hallbrand (Sauron in disguise) was a major plot point in the first season. In the second season, she will be shown to be more level-headed and “open,” something that might encourage the fans to warm up to the character.