There is little doubt that The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will explore what happened during the Second Age of Middle-Earth. This means we'll get to see how the One Ring was forged and it would make sense to expect Sauron's arrival. However, the version of the Dark Lord that we will see in the Amazon Prime series will be very different from the one we are expecting!
During the Second Age, Sauron reemerged after thousands of years of hiding, disguising himself as the benevolent figure Annatar and convincing the Elf-smiths to forge the Rings of Power. The Dark Lord plays a major role during this period so he is expected to show up in the Lord of the Rings series. However, co-showrunner J.D. Payne points out that it will be an unexpected appearance.
"We can say that when [Sauron] appears, it might be in a way people aren't expecting" showrunner JD Payne said in the latest issue of Total Film (via Gamespot).
It's an interesting way to put it and fans are already speculating on Sauron's appearance in The Rings of Power. After the release of the new trailer at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, people are convinced that Anson Boon's mysterious character is actually Annatar, who will eventually be revealed to be Sauron. If this is true, it would confirm that the Dark Lord is taking a completely different form in the show.
For now, Anson Boon's character remains a huge mystery and some argue he might be just another powerful figure in Middle-Earth. Still, we're keeping an eye out for this character and the role he will play in the Lord of the Rings series.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will premiere on Amazon on September 2, 2022.
Related: The Rings of Power Showrunner Admits Lord of the Rings Spin-Off on Young Aragorn was Scrapped