WARNING! We’re talking massive -- and I mean MASSIVE -- spoilers about the Rings of Power Season 2 finale that just dropped on the 2024 TV schedule. So, if you aren’t caught up, I recommend watching the show with an Amazon Prime subscription before scrolling any further.
In Season 1 of Rings of Power, questions and theories about Sauron's identity were flying around like mad. Then, in the show's first finale, it was revealed that Charlie Vickers’ Halbrand was in fact the infamous Lord of the Rings villain in disguise. However, there was another mystery floating around those first episodes regarding the name of The Stranger, and it persisted into Season 2. Well, now we know the name of Daniel Weyman’s mysterious wizard, and Vickers, who is also familiar with keeping his character’s name hidden, opened up about that big reveal and how hard it is to those kinds of secrets.
Truly, Vickers and Weyman had the biggest secrets to keep, because they both play legendary LOTR characters. And while Vickers was revealed as Sauron last season, it wasn’t until the Season 2 finale of Rings of Power (this is your final spoiler warning) that we finally found out that Weyman’s Stranger was indeed Gandalf.
So, with that in mind, I asked the Sauron actor about his thoughts on this big moment where we finally learned The Stranger’s name and if he ever chatted with his co-star about it. In response, he said:
He was much better than me at the keeping secrets. I don't think I ever asked him. Anytime it ever came up in conversation between him and I, he would divert me. He never opened up to me about like, ‘Oh man, I've got this secret. I can't believe you did it.’ He has been much more honorable in his secret-keeping than me. I've been telling everyone how hard it was, whereas he is just very noble.
Ever since it was revealed that Halbrand was Sauron, Charlie Vickers has been open about how hard the secret was to keep. He’s also spoken many times about how he didn’t even know he was playing the villain until a few episodes into shooting the show, as he told CinemaBlend during our Rings of Power SDCC interviews.
'The Rings of Power' Season 2 Interviews with Morfydd Clark, Charlie Vickers, Daniel Weyman & More
However, as he explained to me, he thinks Weyman has gone about the secret keeping in a “very noble” way. While we don’t know exactly how long he knew he would be playing Gandalf, the actor really has kept his lips shut on the matter, despite being asked about the topic frequently.
What's truly impressive about all this is that even though fans were suspicious that The Stranger was the wizard Ian McKellen played in the films, it was never fully confirmed until the finale when he finally said his name, “Gandalf,” to Rory Kinnear’s Tom Bombadil.
Vickers continued talking about the reveal by explaining how it differed from his big moment last season. While Halbrand always knew he was Sauron, and he’d been scheming that whole time, The Stranger truly didn’t know his name. This made the Sauron actor question if Weyman handled his secret differently, as he said:
And I think it's different because The Stranger didn't know who he was, so maybe it wasn't as prevalent in his mind.
That’s such a fair point. While Charlie Vickers’ character always knew who he was, the whole point of The Stranger’s journey was to find his name and purpose. So, it could have made Weyman’s approach to playing Gandalf and keeping this secret totally different.
Overall, Vickers was thrilled for his co-star and spoke highly of how they pulled off the big reveal in the Season 2 finale. From Tom Bombadil’s test that made The Stranger choose between “destiny” and “friends” to the Stoors calling him “gand elf,” it was a wonderful reveal that left me smiling. The Sauron actor was too, as he recalled his reaction to seeing the episode for the first time:
I saw it for the first time last night, and I'd forgotten how he finds out. So it was like, I was watching it for the first time, because I hadn't read that script in so long. So it was really cool, really cool.
I’m right there with him. Finally learning The Stranger’s name by way of his small Hobbit friends was a moment we’d been waiting years for, and I adored how it was revealed. Now, both men don’t have to keep these massive secrets anymore, and I bet it’s a massive weight off their shoulders.
Now, hopefully, we’ll get to see them back in these parts for a third season! Gandalf only just realized that his name is Gandalf, and Sauron is still on his quest to make the rings and rule Middle-earth. And who knows, maybe, someday, we’ll get to see Charlie Vickers and Daniel Weyman share a scene as their two seriously legendary Lord of the Rings characters.
