The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, season 3, speculations about the release date, cast, plot and other news

Season 2 of The Rings of Power has come to an end, but there’s still a lot of Lord of the Rings story left to tell. The series, set in the Second Age, has so far focused on Sauron’s domination of Middle-earth, which comes to a dramatic end at the end of the second season. However, while the showrunners have been open about their plans for a total of five seasons of the fantasy epic, Prime Video has yet to officially renew the series.

But before you panic, there are some pretty major reports suggesting it’s coming, including an industry report from The Hollywood Reporter that the streaming service is fully committed to all five seasons. The showrunners have also confirmed that they are already working on Season 3, so hopefully it won’t be too long before we return to Middle-earth again. To reassure you in the meantime, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to the latest news on the subject, as well as Rings of Power Season 3 cast, potential story, and exclusive insights.

Needless to say, we’re into it huge Spoilers from Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 8 below. Before you continue reading, make sure you’ve seen the finale.

Speculations regarding the release date of the third season of Rings of Power

(Photo: Prime Video)

There is currently no release date for Rings of Power Season 3 as it has not yet been officially renewed by Prime Video. But that doesn’t mean we have no idea when to expect it.

Returning to San Diego Comic-Con 2024, showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay confirmed that work has begun on new episodes. “We’re working on it,” he said at a press conference with GamesRadar+ July 27, 2024

While this is a really good sign, it doesn’t tell us much about when we might see season 3, as production on the second season took place at the same time as filming on the first season.

We’ll have a much clearer picture when filming starts on the third installment. Filming for Season 2 began about a month after Season 1 aired. Taking into account the time between the start of production on Season 2 and the actual premiere, it took approximately 20 months. If season 3 follows the exact same pattern, that means we can expect it August 2026.

Of course, these are just guesses for now, so we will keep you updated on any updates.

The plot of the third season of Rings of Power

(Photo: Prime Video)

Rings of Power season 3 doesn’t have an official synopsis yet, but considering where the finale is heading, we have a good idea of what to expect. First and foremost, Sauron now achieved the greatest power in his history, taking the Nine Rings to Men as well as taking the Orc army under his wing. After his confrontation with Galadriel, we see him standing with Feëanor’s hammer in his Annatar form, and we bet this prepares him to forge the One Ring. In the works of JRR Tolkien, Sauron forges it in the flames of Mordor – could this be where he goes next?

There will no doubt be resistance from the rest of Middle-earth. The elves are bruised and battered from the siege of Eregion, and their numbers are severely depleted. However, even as Galadriel recovers from her near-death experience, she decides with Elrond and Gil-galad that they will fight to defeat the Dark Lord. We expect season three to start with us coming together and figuring out how to do it.

However, they will have a new ally who has just learned his name: Gandalf. Yes, the Stranger was a famous wizard after all. He now knows his name, has his staff, and is well on his way to facing both the Dark Wizard and Sauron. It’s not yet clear whether the Harfoots will be involved as they go their separate ways at the end of the season, but hopefully this won’t be the last time they see each other.

Things aren’t looking good elsewhere. In Khazad-dûm, the dwarves mourn the death of King Durin and also struggle with the fact that they have awakened the Balrog beneath the mountain. Numenór is in turmoil as Pharazon declares Miriel’s followers traitors and sends Elendil fleeing with a very familiar sword (read more about Narsil here). It’s not much better for the other humans either, many of whom (including Isildur) leave the Southlands for Númenor.

As for where we leave Season 2 in the Lord of the Rings timeline, we’re approaching the midway point of the Second Age. Based on what we can expect from Tolkien’s books, we will likely see the rise of Rivendell after the fall of Eregion, but there is a large gap in the timeline between that and the next big event: the first sighting of the Nazghûl. It seems pretty clear that the Power Rings will try to fill the gaps left by the men who received the rings in Season 3.

The cast of the third season of Rings of Power

(Photo: Prime Video)

While there were some big casualties in Rings of Power season two (RIP Adar, King Durin, and Celebrimbor), we expect most of the main cast to return in season three. There will likely be plenty of new characters joining as well, but in the meantime, these are the ones we expect to return next season.

Charlie Vickers as Sauron
Morfydd Clark as Galadriel
Robert Aramayo as Elrond
Benjamin Walker as Gilgalad
Daniel Weyman as Gandalf
Sophia Nomvete as Disa
Owain Arthur as Durin IV
Kevin Eldon as Narvi
Lloyd Owen as Elendil
Maxim Baldry as Isildur
Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn
Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Míriel
Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir
Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo
Markella Kavenagh as Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot
Megan Richards as Poppy Proudfellow
Ciarán Hinds as the Dark Wizard
Ema Horvath as Eärien
Leon Wadham as Kemen
Rory Kinnear as Tom Bombadil