.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=&dpr=1.5)
In an interview for Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power with Collider’s own Perri Nemiroff, star Lloyd Owen spoke more about his character Elendil, the father of Isildur and the first king of Gondor. The prequel series will explore the early arrival of the Man of Númenor to Middle-Earth and, in the exclusive interview, Owen weights in how J.R.R. Tolkien could be different if Elendil, and not Isildur, cut the One Ring from Sauron’s finger.
With a name that literally means “The Elf-friend” in Quenya, the ancient elven language created by Tolkien, Elendil was one of the leaders who banded together to fight against Sauron during the Secon Age. In Tolkien’s literary works, Elendil is killed during the Siege of Barad-dûr, when the free people of Middle-Earth attacked Sauron’s fortress in Mordor. Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will take us to a time before Sauron rose to power, when Elendil was still a man trying to lead his family to safety across the Great Sea. Talking about the beginning of Elendil’s story, Owen said:
“In terms of where we see him start the series, you know, he is he's very capable ship's captain. And he's trying to bring up these three adult children. But he's recently been widowed. So the turbulence within the family is something that he's just trying to calm. He's trying to find calm waters. But I think it's definitely a safe haven, what he's seeking. And he gradually gets drawn in. I think it's very Tolkeinian, the idea that when all of these characters, you do see it very much in the books of Lord of the Rings, that they suddenly realized where their fate lies, they understand that they have a fate. And so it's a battle that we all have as humans between your head and your heart. Where your heart, your instinct is telling you to go and where your head might want to, in a different direction. So that's something of his theme.”
But what about Elendil’s future? What would happen if the Númenor leader had survived and taken the Ring from Sauron? Would he make a different choice than his son, Isildur? Owen also has a pretty idea of what would happen. In his words:
“The fascinating thing to me about Elendil is there are a few signposts on the way that Tolkein has given us. We have to get to the you know, to the Last Alliance of Elves and Men: Elendil, King Gil-galad along with Galadriel and Elrond, but, how does he get here? But talking to fans this week, it was just so many people have real possession of Elendil, he's a hero archetype, but based on very little knowledge. And I posed the question to a few people that if the ring was on the other finger, and rather than Isildur getting the ring, it was Elendil that got the ring, would he throw it into the fire? And as I asked Corey Olson, who's the Tolkien professor, he goes, "No." And he immediately said it was such an emotional reaction. I was like, Okay, you're so invested in that? And I don't know the answer to that question. But I would ponder or posit that Tolkein might say, it's unknown as to whether he would, because at the moment of holding that ring, the fool is apparent in every man and he's a fallible human being. So yeah, that's that's where I feel a real privilege to play him and a great responsibility.”
And there we have it. The ring corrupts any man, and Elendil, as heroic as he might be, is still a man. So Owen believes that Elendil would still keep the Ring for himself and make the same poor choices as his son.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power epic cast includes Charlie Vickers, Morfydd Clark, Markella Kavenagh, Nazanin Boniadi, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Tyroe Muhafidin, Charles Edwards, Robert Aramayo, Maxim Baldry, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman, and Sara Zwangobani.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres exclusively on Prime Video on September 2.Check out the full interview below: