This is a match made in genre heaven — Jamie Campbell Bower, star of Netflix’s blockbuster supernatural drama Stranger Things, is joining one of biggest fantasy franchises of all time. Bowler has been tapped as a series regular for the upcoming third season of Prime Video’s Lord Of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Additionally, Ray Donovan alum Eddie Marsan is set to recur on the new season, which is currently in pre-production.
As usual, details about the role are being kept under wraps but I hear Bower plays Rings of Power‘s biggest new cast addition, a character described as a handsome high-born knight (code name Arlen) in casting information that has been circulated around. He could be a new love interest for Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) who spent the second season facing the reality of her Season 1 love interest Halbrand’s (Charlie Vickers) true identity as arch-villain Sauron.
Whatever the role may be exactly, it is expected to be a major departure from the monstrous Vecna Bower plays on Stranger Things, something he recently alluded to at a fan convention while bringing up a conversation with his therapist about his post-Stranger Things plans.
“I turned around to him, and I was like, ‘to be honest with you, man, I just don’t think I’ll be doing another bad guy for a minute,’” Bower was quoted as sating. “Like it f—s me up. I’m dead serious.”
Not much is known about Marsan’s character either (code name Dromm) besides the fact that he has a brother. Since the role reportedly required Scottish accent, the English actor could presumably be playing a dwarf.
While only formally picked up a couple of weeks ago, Season 3 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power had been prepping for awhile, with filming slated to begin at Shepperton Studios in the UK this spring.
The series is produced by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay. They are joined by executive producers Lindsey Weber, Justin Doble, Kate Hazell, and executive producer-director Charlotte Brändström.
Bower is one of the highest-profile actors with a big, established fanbase to join Rings of Power. In addition to playing Henry Creel/Vecna on Stranger Things, whose fifth and final season will debut later this year, the English actor is known for his roles as Caius in The Twilight Saga, as young Gellert Grindelwald in the Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts franchise and as Jace in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. Bower, who is also a musician, made his film debut in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He was recently seen in Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1. Bower, whose series regular credits also include the Starz fantasy series Camelot, in which he played King Arthur, and TNT’s Will, is repped by UK’s 42, Paradigm and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
The recipient of two BIFA Awards for his role in Mike Leigh’s features Vera Drake and Happy Go Lucky, Marsan played Terry Donovan on Showtime’s Ray Donovan for the series’ entire run and followup movie. He recently starred in the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black and was also seen in the Brian Epstein biopic Midas Man. He had a main role in the Apple TV+ limited series Franklin opposite Michael Douglas and recurred on Netflix’s Supacell and Heartstopper. Marsan is repped by UK’s Markham, Froggatt and Irwin as well as UTA.