Rings Of Power Season 2 Finale Confirms True Identity Of The Stranger

Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power wrapped up its second season on October 2, and the season finale had a major reveal that answered a lingering question about a big character. Spoilers for The Rings of Power follow below.

As reported by GamesRadar, in the season finale, viewers finally learn who The Stranger actually is--and it's someone fans had theorized. In the episode, The Stranger meets up with Tom Bombadil in his hut, where Bombadil says to him: "A wizard does not find his staff, it finds him, like his name." The Stranger says in reply, "Gandalf, that's what they're going to call me, isn't it?"

And that's that. After years of fan theories and speculation that pointed to The Stranger being Gandalf, it's finally confirmed, and it'll be interesting to see where the show goes from here.

Not all Tolkien fans were excited by the reveal, pointing out that Gandalf didn't come to Middle-earth until the Third Age--the TV show, meanwhile, takes place in the Second Age.

The Rings of Power has not yet been officially renewed for Season 3, but it's expected to happen, even if the show's ratings are slipping. The showrunners have five seasons mapped out, down to the final shot.

In other news about Gandalf, Ian McKellen has said he's interested in coming back to play the wise wizard once again in the next Lord of the Rings films. No official casting announcements have been made, but McKellen recently said, "I don't like the idea of anybody else playing Gandalf."

The Hunt for Gollum might still be some time off, but the next Lord of the Rings movie,The War of the Rohirrim, comes to theaters this December. The animated film tells the story of Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox) and Princess Hera (Gaia Wise).