Sorry, Aragorn-heads: Amazon’s Lord Of The Rings will unfold during the Second Age of Middle Earth
Yesterday, we reported how Amazon seemed to be hinting that, despite rumors to the contrary, their forthcoming Lord Of The Rings-adjacent series would not focus on the trials and tribulations of a young Aragorn (portrayed by Viggo Mortensen in Peter Jackson’s film adaptation). Today, the official Twitter account for the series confirmed that fact with a post showing a new, expanded map of Middle Earth that reveals the ancient island of Númenor along with the message, “Welcome to the Second Age.”
According to the dense history of Middle Earth Tolkien laid out in various texts, Númenor was once a great civilization, the home of Aragorn’s ancestors and the great Kings of Men. At some point in the Second Age, the Númenoreans were deceived by Sauron into thinking they could wage war on the Gods. The result was that Númenor was cast to the bottom of the ocean, along with most of the island’s inhabitants. It’s currently unclear if the downfall of Númenor will be the focus of the series, or if the mythical island will simply loom large in the background. The Second Age was very long, and Middle Earth is very big. There are plenty of stories Amazon can tell here.
One thing that’s for certain is that, with the exception of Sauron and few immortal elves, very few familiar faces from Lord Of The Rings will be appearing in this show. That’s a relief to any fans worried that the series would adhere too closely to a story we already know. And it’s especially good news for fans of hunky Númenoreans blessed with long life.