Why was Adar recast in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?’

Adar, the Lord-father of Orcs, makes a return in the second season of The Rings of Power, but fortunately for the entire fantasy community, you’ll no longer mistake him for the weighted Uncle Benjen in Game of Thrones.

One of Amazon’s additions to Middle-earth lore for The Rings of Power was Adar. Galadriel refers to him as one of the Moriondor, the first elves to be corrupted by Morgoth and turned into the orcs, or Uruks. Adar himself has said that he was one of the first 13 orcs to be chosen by the Black Foe and then taken to a “nameless pit” where Sauron resided over their turn.

Adar is intelligent like the elves, and seems to have a paternal protectiveness towards his corrupted kin the orcs. His ultimate goal is to create a haven for his “children” away from the influence of the Free Peoples and any Dark Lords, which is why he betrays Sauron in the prologue to The Rings of Power.

All of that certainly makes Adar a unique villain in the history of Tolkien’s legendarium, but if, like us, you were confused to see a completely different actor take on his role in season 2, then read ahead to find out why that happened.

Why was Adar recast for The Rings of Power season 2?

The Lord-father was portrayed by Joseph Mawle, best known for his part as Benjen Stark in Game of Thrones, and he did a hell of a fine job, too, which is why most of the fandom was upset to see him depart the series.

Now for the second season and possibly beyond, Sam Hazeldine is taking on the role of the Uruk lieutenant. Hazeldine is famous for his roles in Peaky Blinders and The Sandman, not to mention a host of other major flicks like The Huntsman: Winter’s War, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, and The Last Duel.

As for why Mawle was recast, it’s nothing so sinister or controversial as you’ve come to expect from Hollywood lately. The actor himself actually explained his reasoning as wanting to explore other career opportunities in a tweet from 2022.

“I loved my time exploring Middle-earth and diving into Tolkien’s mythology,” he wrote. “I’m so honoured 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.”

So, there you have it, folks. Though he may look different now, I personally can’t wait to find out how Adar plans to deal with Sauron’s machinations in season 2, and whether a team-up with Galadriel is really on the horizon for the character.