Summary
Amazon Prime Video’sThe Rings of Powerhas confirmed the appearance of an iconicLord of the Ringscharacter, but it must avoid repeating a video game’s previous controversial mistake.The Rings of Powerseason 2’s release dateis imminent, and Prime Video has already revealed some major character name-drops that will be appearing. Included is Tom Bombadil, one of the major omissions from Peter Jackson’sLOTRtrilogy. Another major character isShelob, the villainous spider of Torech Ungol, who appears in Peter Jackson’sThe Return of the King.
This wouldn’t be the first timeShelob returns toLord of the Ringsmedia since the original film trilogy. The character wasutilized in the 2017 video gameMiddle-earth: Shadow of War, though it was met with controversy, as Shelob appeared in the form of a woman.The Rings of Powerseason 2 already has a steep hill to climb if it wants to win over more Tolkien fans, and this seven-year-old controversy has set a low bar for Shelob appearances. Hopefully, this will be an easy win for the TV adaptation.
The Rings Of Power Season 2’s Shelob Return Will Show A Different Version Of The Villain
Shelob Won’t Be As Big As Audiences Are Used To
The Rings of Power’sversion of Shelob won’t be a woman, given that actor Maxim Baldry teased a bit about what the portrayal would look like. Baldry plays Isildur in the Prime Video show’s cast, and in an interview withGamesRadar+, he described the fight his character would have with Shelob. Notably, he states, “Isildur is on the floor, and he has no idea where Shelob is, but he knows he’s in a spider’s cave, and there’s this push and pull between these two characters.” Shelob will definitely be a spider, though the trailer shows she will still look unfamiliar.
She’s the daughter of Ungoliant, making Shelob at least 6,000 years old, so the spider will still be a sizable threat to a human in the show.
Canonically, Shelob was alive during the Second Age and settled in Cirith Ungol before Sauron took control of Mordor. Given thatThe Rings of Poweroccurs in the Second Age andThe Lord of the Ringshappens thousands of years later,Shelob will be smaller than she appeared inThe Return of the King. She’s the daughter of Ungoliant, making Shelob at least 6,000 years old, so the spider will still be a sizable threat to a human in the show. She just won’t beasbig as when Frodo meets her later on.
How The Rings of Power Could Have Been Different If Peter Jackson Helmed the Series
Peter Jackson is not directly involved with The Rings of Power, but the series could have been very different if he had helmed the LOTR prequel series.
The Rings Of Power Shouldn’t Repeat Shadow Of War’s Shelob Controversy
The Rings Of Power Writers Have Made Too Many Creative Decisions Already
The Rings of PoweravoidingShadow of War’smistake is a win for the series in some capacity. After the divisive response to season 1,the showreally can’t afford to continue making needless creative decisions regarding Tolkien’s work. Given that they’re already having Shelob fight Isildur, which never happens in Tolkien’s mythology, continuing to stray away from the original writing would just be in poor taste forThe Rings of Power.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
