Mission: Impossible favourite joins The Rings of Power in surprise Season 3 reveal
Right, let’s get stuck in—if you’re curious about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and, for some reason, you still haven’t grown tired of Middle-earth politics, here’s the latest.
Season 3 has just dropped its very first teaser, and there are a few things worth flagging (even if you’re mainly here to see which British actors are donning elf ears this time around).
Prime Video says the series has pulled in over 185 million viewers globally since it launched back in 2022.
The teaser landed first at San Diego Comic-Con (as these things do), and then shortly after found its way online for everyone else to have a nosy.
What's actually in the teaser?
Season 3 picks up five years after the fall of Eregion. Sauron is still around causing all sorts of bother—this time, he’s squarely set on forging the One Ring. The teaser wastes no time on that front: you get a look at the ring’s creation early doors, with a heap of moody shots of Middle-earth, which is looking even grimmer than usual.
If you’re fairly invested in the lore, the trailer serves up a few treats. There’s a new glimpse at Gandalf (yes, they’re still milking him), plus a scene where Galadriel has a long-overdue meeting with Celeborn. Fans of the Jackson films will spot that the Nazgûl—those ghostly blokes from the original trilogy—look just as you’d expect, which is a detail likely to mollify anyone who’s dreadfully cross about canonical accuracy. As it stands, only Khazad-dûm and a couple of elvish hideouts (Lindon and Rivendell, if you must know) are still holding out against Sauron’s schemes.
All change in the cast
There are new faces—and, more amusingly, new voices. Simon Pegg, of Mission: Impossible and general British-geek royalty, is voicing the Balrog. That’s properly unexpected, but frankly, if you’ve seen Pegg’s filmography, he’ll throw himself into anything. Alongside him, the cast now includes Eddie Marsan (as Thrain), Andrew Richardson (Anarion), Adam Young (Marnûkh), Jamie Campbell Bower (Celeborn), and Zubin Varla (Khamûl the Easterling). If you fancy keeping track, Jamie Campbell Bower’s Celeborn is probably the only one set for instant internet infamy.
Running the entire operation—showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, still on board wrangling elves, orcs, and studio notes.
Mark your calendars and even more Middle-earth
Season 3 lands with a four-episode drop on Prime Video from 11 November 2026. For those who still can’t get enough, there are new films on the horizon too, including Andy Serkis’s upcoming project The Hunt for Gollum—because clearly, the well has yet to run dry.