The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power showrunners address theories that The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) is Gandalf after that clue in the season 1 finale. The Harfoot storyline with The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) is a major focus of the hit Prime Video series, with his identity emerging as a major question mark. While his identity isn’t confirmed, The Rings of Power‘s season 1 finale drops a hint that he’s Gandalf when he says “Always follow your nose” to Nori (Markella Kavenagh), a phrase Gandalf memorably utters.

In a recent interview with Collider, showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne comment on whether The Stranger is Gandalf in The Rings of Power. While they don’t outright confirm the theory, it certainly sounds like the character will end up being a familiar wizard from TheLord of the Rings. Check out McKay and Payne’s comments below:

Patrick McKay: ”We always felt from the very beginning that you need all the ingredients. We always talk about a Thanksgiving meal — you want the turkey, you want the cranberry sauce, you want the stuffing. We felt like a Lord of the Rings show without a wizard who felt the things that wizards in Lord of the Rings make you feel would just feel like it’s missing the point. Anything that can help us get there and evoke those feelings we were drawn to.

“Despite what some folks might think, we’re really not about a game; we’re really not about a puzzle. But we also don’t wanna take for granted where characters will end up. We want to see them grow and change along the way, and we hope that in the end, you look back and it feels inevitable, but in the moment… I’m trying to say it but not say it. [Laughs]”

J.D. Payne: ”[W]e try to make it delightful in that there are several possibilities of what that can end up meaning. Could that mean that The Stranger is Gandalf and that he says that, then he says it later on? It could definitely mean that.

“Could it also mean that The Stranger is Saruman, and you realize that later on Saruman said that to Gandalf and then Gandalf said it. You know what I mean? There are always ways you can sort of like pinball it. There could be delightful paths that could come out of either eventuality. So, we like to keep those doors open. It’s fun to engage with the story and think of the possibilities.”

Is The Stranger Actually Gandalf In The Rings Of Power?

Why It’s Complicated If He Is

The latest comments from McKay and Payne do certainly make it seem likely that The Stranger is Gandalf. It’s entirely possible that this will be confirmed in The Rings of Power season 2 later this summer. If he is the beloved wizard previously played by Ian McKellen in Peter Jackson’s acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy, however, that would mean that the show is making some changes to J.R.R. Tolkien’s source material.

While Tolkien doesn’t spend a ton of time on details relating to Gandalf’s arrival in Middle-earth, he does confirm that the wizard didn’t show up until the Third Age. Since The Rings of Power takes place in the Second Age, this would mean that Gandalf is showing up thousands of years before he does in the source material. This, in and of itself, isn’t necessarily a big deal, but it does raise some questions that the show will likely have to answer.

If Gandalf actually arrived in Middle-earth during the Second Age, for example, why was he not present during the War of the Last Alliance as Elves and Men made a final stand against Sauron? This war ended the Second Age, and it would be odd if Gandalf was nearby but didn’t participate. Ultimately, whether this potential change to Tolkien lore is a problem or not will come down to storytelling choices, and it’s entirely possible that The Rings of Power will iron out these timeline concerns before it comes to an end.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 premieres on Prime Video on August 29.