The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has now concluded its second season on Amazon Prime, which took fans on an epic journey in the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron and the creation of more Rings. As Lord of the Rings enthusiasts wait to hear more about when they will see a season three, the fantasy show’s showrunner hints at possible flashbacks for the opening of its next adventure into Middle-earth. Even though The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two received lower ratings compared to its first season, with only around half of the U.S. population tuning into the show this time around, the solid acting and stunning cinematography, as well as a deeper dive into Tolkien’s lore, kept most fans happily glued to their screens.

Despite a decline in viewership, thankfully, Amazon saw its potential and decided to greenlight another round of the series in Rings of Power season three, which has been in development for a number of months. Even though there isn’t a release date or currently any official announcement about what season three might entail, The Rings of Power showrunners are already hinting at what could be in store for the show in terms of flashbacks when it does roll around again.

Rings of Power Showrunner Hints at Season Three Flashbacks

In a recent Q&A on Reddit, which involved The Rings of Power showrunners, J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay talking about the show, a question was posed to McKay about the possibility of flashbacks being a part of season three, since fans loved them so much in the first season. McKay said that they were toying with the idea that each series could start out with a fresh look at a Rings of Power character, in a bid to tell their origin story, something that some fans might not have heard before or explored on screen. McKay also said that other flashbacks could be thrown intermittently throughout the season so that they weren’t just confined to the beginning, like in season two.

As exciting as this news may sound, J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay didn’t reveal in any way what characters they had in mind to focus a flashback on. However, it’s likely a character, or characters, who will take the center stage in season three of Rings of Power, somewhat like how Galadriel was in season one and Sauron in season two. Some possible character flashbacks could showcase Rings of Power‘s Gil-galad when he was younger and taking part in the Wars of Beleriand, or Durin IV could take the limelight in a part exploring him and his brother, as there’s next to no information about him.

As fans still theorize about the show’s characters in season two, The Rings of Power‘s producers have shut down at least one major fan theory. Payne and McKay recently stated that the Dark Wizard, played by Ciarán Hinds, couldn’t be The Lord of the Ring‘s Saruman, as this would be “highly improbable.” Fans will just have to wait until season three to find out more regarding this mysterious wizard.