Gandalf is having a resurgence in The Lord of the Rings, but this could present some problems for the franchise. No one could argue that 2024 wasn’t a good year for J.R.R. Tolkien’s seminal story, The Lord of the Rings. Released in three parts between 1954 and 1955, the novel was adapted into Peter Jackson’s famous Lord of the Rings movies between 2001 and 2003. Gandalf was, as per the book, a main character in these movies. Amazon Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power confirmed its own version of Gandalf in 2024 in season 2.

Warner Bros. confirmed they will be releasing more Lord of the Rings movies from 2024 onwards, starting with The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim movie in December 2024. While Gandalf isn’t expected to appear in this anime picture, he is all but confirmed for the next Warner Bros. venture, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Gandalf may also appear in another The Lord of the Rings movie after that. While an exciting prospect for Ian McKellen fans and LotR fans alike, the Gandalf revival could dilute the franchise’s power.

Gandalf Is In Lord Of The Rings’ Two New Movies

Ian McKellen Will Return As Gandalf In The Lord Of The Rings

Gandalf will most likely feature in the two Lord of the Rings movies that will be released after the upcoming The War of the Rohirrim. Ian McKellen discussed his role in upcoming Warner Bros. movies with Deadline, confirming that “I’ve just been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved, and they hope that I’ll be playing him.” McKellen is talking about The Hunt for Gollum, which remains a working title, rather than a confirmed one. McKellen confirmed that he is keen to return as Gandalf, stating “they better be quick” with the script (Big Issue).

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is set for release in 2026.

Moreover, Lord of the Rings producer Philippa Boyens confirmed that the subsequent Lord of the Rings movie will most likely also include Gandalf. McKellen’s return for The Hunt for Gollum has been known for a while, but the confirmation that Gandalf should feature in the next LoTR movie also reveals a definite Gandalf trend in the franchise. Boyens confirmed that the movie to come after Hunt for Gollum may not cover a similar storyline and may not even be live-action, but Gandalf should remain important.

The Rings Of Power Made Gandalf Important To Its Story

The Stranger Was Revealed As Gandalf In The Rings Of Power

The Stranger turned out to be Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, centralizing Gandalf in its plot. The Stranger was an original character in The Rings of Power throughout seasons 1 and 2 but was shrouded in mystery, with many hints that he was actually a famous Tolkien character. He slammed a staff into the ground at one point, recalling Gandalf’s famous fight against the Balrog. The show dropped hints that the Stranger could be Sauron, but after the original character Halbrand was revealed as Sauron, the Stranger began looking more like Gandalf.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power seasons 1 and 2 can be streamed on Amazon Prime.

With The Rings of Power season 2 finale confirming, beyond any doubt, that the Stranger had been Gandalf all along, the show revealed how important Gandalf was to its story from the start. Gandalf will be a major player in The Rings of Power season 3 but was also a main character in seasons 1 and 2. Gandalf’s role in season 3 is set to expand since he must now face Sauron’s rise. This proves Gandalf’s popularity as a Lord of the Rings character, keeping him front and center of the Amazon franchise as well as the Warner Bros. franchise.

Why Lord Of The Rings Is Relying So Much On Gandalf

Immortality Is A Key Plot Device For Franchises

Gandalf is one of the best characters in The Lord of the Rings, so his thematic importance in any LotR adaptation can’t be overstated. What’s more, his popularity is proved by how recognizable Gandalf is even outside of the fanbase – the fan response to Gandalf has always been massive. Gandalf’s commercial appeal makes him a character that Warner Bros. is guaranteed to utilize in the coming years. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav stated in an investor call that the company felt The Lord of the Rings franchise was “underused,” confirming his intention to exploit the story commercially.

Tolkienian Age
Event Marking The Start
Years
Total Length In Solar Years

Before time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Indeterminate

Days before Days
The Ainur entered Eä
1 – 3,500 Valian Years
33,537

Pre-First Age Years of the Trees (Y.T.)
Yavanna created the Two Trees
Y.T. 1 – 1050
10,061

First Age (F.A.)

Second Age (S.A.)
The War of Wrath ended
S.A. 1 – 3441
3,441

Third Age (T.A.)
The Last Alliance defeated Sauron
T.A. 1 – 3021
3,021

Major franchises like Star Wars and Marvel reuse popular characters over and over again. Gandalf is an example of this type of character in The Lord of the Rings. Additionally, Gandalf is immortal, making it easy to situate him in multiple timeframes. Immortality is often a key plot device in franchises because it enables characters to jump from one era to another in a story, throughout multiple movies or TV series. Gandalf fits into The Lord of the Rings timeline in multiple places, having arrived in Middle-earth about 1000 years into the Third Age.

Too Much Gandalf Could Be An Issue In Lord Of The Rings

Lord Of The Rings Has Many New Stories To Use

Gandalf is popular and important in The Lord of the Rings, but overusing him could lead to a dilution of the power of the stories. Oversaturating The Lord of the Rings as a wider franchise with Gandalf doesn’t work, because it diminishes the power and impact of the appearance of this iconic character. Gandalf’s power in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies relies on his scarcity and the suspense of his death followed by the relief of his return. Making Gandalf’s return seem imminent from one adaptation to the next could erode this effect for some.

The rebirth of characters is often overused in franchises, but Gandalf’s rebirth in the movies was a rare example of a faithfully adapted resurrection that perfectly epitomized the key themes of the story. This could be diminished by filling the market with adaptations that make light of Gandalf’s struggle, defeat, or return as Gandalf the White. It would be a shame for too many Gandalf appearances to affect the gravity of his death in the book or movies. Jackson’s movies created a timeless version of Tolkien’s character, and all future movies should preserve this legacy as best they can.

Gandalf was one of five Wizards sent to Middle-earth to oppose Sauron in The Lord of the Rings. They were also known as the Istari.

The Rings of Power, despite scrambling Tolkien’s timeline, portrayed a beautifully sensitive Gandalf. Daniel Weyman is well-suited to play a younger version of the Gandalf seen in the Jackson movies. His difference from the Gandalf of the movies keeps a variety alive in the franchise and resists an overly problematic comparison between the two. However, the more different versions of Gandalf that exist in movies and TV, the more likely it is that continuity errors and plotholes will arise between them and within them. Also, oversaturating the franchise with Gandalf risks its creative growth and the rise of new characters.

How Lord Of The Rings Can Avoid Its Gandalf Problem

Warner Bros. Can Avoid Its Gandalf Problem

Warner Bros. is poised to create rich new stories in The Lord of the Rings, but it should pay attention to a few key facts to avoid creating a Gandalf problem for itself. Firstly, oversaturating Hollywood with different versions of Gandalf could create confusion and dilution of the source material, so it should ensure painstaking consistency wherever possible. Secondly, creating faithful adaptations of Tolkien’s work is important, and relies more on honoring his key themes than creating “word-for-word” dialogue or narratives, since Tolkien’s appendices were sketched in broad strokes.

Gandalf can be used in future adaptations and should be, but he has to explore ideas that are both novel and faithful.

Thirdly, Lord of the Rings fans will detect cash-grab adaptations a mile off and will be more amenable to genuine, innovative movies than ones that rehash old ideas. Gandalf can be used in future adaptations and should be, but he has to explore ideas that are both novel and faithful. With rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema would do well to explore the wild and wonderful corners of LotR’s appendices, seeking source material that is both faithful and untapped. That way, Gandalf can shine alongside new characters, keeping the franchise relevant.

Sources: Deadline, Big Issue