Is Sauron Female in 'LoTR: The Rings of Power'?
The world is changed indeed.
With a new 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power ' trailer hitting social media on Tuesday, yet another wave of criticism was unleashed by Tolkien fans towards Amazon and the way it handles their favorite author's legacy. And it seems that a new controversy has arrived: this time, fans suspect that the showrunners have retconned Sauron and made him… female.
In the Tuesday trailer, posted on 'Rings of Power' official Twitter page, we get a better look at a new character who looks like a "they/them version of Eminem", as fans now put it. The newcomer is believed to be Sauron, but they are nothing like the devious armored giant we feared in the Lord of the Rings saga.
According to some shots from the trailer, the character believed to be Sauron is female – at least that's what many fans ended up believing after seeing what appears to be breasts.
Should fans' concerns turn out to be true, it's likely 'The Rings of Power' will face even more backlash than it has already received.
"When last we laughed at Sauron, we just assumed they were Eminem, that was wrong of us to do. We should've laughed even harder, knowing they were a woman trying to do the androgynous non-binary gimmick. Who did Amazon make this Lord of the Rings show for?" a fan on Twitter wondered.
As of now, showrunners avoid being direct about whether or not the character is Sauron. Judging by the trailer, we clearly have some kind of a villain or at least an anti-hero here.
But Sauron will be a part of the new show – in some form. Co-showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay said that 'The Rings of Power' is going to revolve around "the rise and fall of Sauron". At the same time, reports have emerged citing sources in the writers' room that Sauron "may not be who [fans] expect", with the actor behind the character still remaining a mystery.
Summing up – Sauron's identity and powers are yet to be officially confirmed, and it looks like we will have to wait until the premiere to get that confirmation.
'The Rings of Power' premieres on Prime Video on September 2, 2022.