Again, to make it painfully clear, we’re working on unsubstantiated claims here. However, Mike Wood’s IMDB profile was recently updated to indicate he has an upcoming role as an “Orc Warlord” in Season 2 of “The Rings of Power.” The site has Wood listed to appear in all eight episodes — although that information is often updated closer to a release date. Fan site Fellowship of Fans also shared the rumor.
If Wood really is playing a recurring role as an Orc Warlord in Season 2, it would align with the speculation we’ve previously heard. A scoop in mid-June purported there will be a lot of violence, cool battle set pieces, and even a berserker Orc in the upcoming season. Another rumor claimed day battles were being filmed (bad news for the sunlight-loathing Orcs), and a leak in July stated multiple main characters fight a two-episode battle.
Regardless of how accurate these rumors are, there’s little doubt we’re looking at a pretty active and violent second season of showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay’s Middle-earth series. Galadriel actress Morfydd Clark even went on record in May, saying there will be “quite a lot of new villains” in “Rings of Power” Season 2.
Maybe Wood will be one of these gnarly new faces. Then again, maybe he’ll surprise us by popping into the story as a man, an elf, or even a Halfling.
