In the premiere's flashback, a younger version of Sauron comes into play. If you noticed he's played by a different actor, you guessed right. Meet the "steed of Slow Horses" star Jack Lowden who recently joined The Rings of Power's latest season.
SPOILER WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for The Rings of Power season 2, so proceed with caution.
Why Does Sauron Look Different in The Rings of Power S2?
Sauron, aka the true identity behind Halbrand, who could shift his shape and form into anything he desires, showed a vulnerable piece of himself in the premiere of The Rings of Power season 2.
As fans are brought back to Middle-Earth in season 2, a younger depiction of Sauron graced the screens before we get to Charlie Vickers' present version.
Apart from the fact that he has shapeshifting abilities, this is similar to how there were two versions of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon: a contrast to how the two existing Saurons contrasted one another.
In this case, the premiere of The Rings of Power's second season depicts a less authoritative image of him towards the Orcs, compared to how he killed them in season 1. This potentially explains why Adar didn't recognize his form as Vickers'.
In addition, the young Dark Lord was played by none other than the rising Scottish star Jack Lowden who may look familiar to some fans.
Where Fans May Have Previously Seen Jack Lowden
The younger Sauron is played by Jack Lowden who is best known for his BBC miniseries War & Peace's Nikolai Rostov and Apple TV's Slow Horses as River Cartwright.
The 34-year-old star also played Henry Darnley in Mary Queen of Scots, Steven Patrick Morrissey in the biopic, England is Mine and the Christopher Nolan-helmed Dunkirk as a pilot named Collins.
Lowden has also earned accolades for being the Best Actor in Benediction (BAFTA Scotland and International Cinephile Society Awards) and in the 2018 flick Calibre (BASTA Scotland).
He is also known to be the husband of Lady Bird and Little Women star Saoirse Ronan, whom he had been in a relationship with since 2018 before the two eventually got married.
READ NEXT: The Rings of Power: Why Did Sauron Steal the Heraldry Necklace in Season 2?
The Rings of Power season 2 episode 4 premieres on Prime Video on September 5.
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